A long-lived Arctic cold outbreak will remain entrenched across the Plains, Midwest, South and East through the first week of 2018, shattering more daily records and sending wind chills to dangerously cold levels.

The latest batch of Arctic air to arrive in the Lower 48 is currently gripping parts of the Midwest, South and East. This will be followed by another reinforcing shot of bitterly cold air during the latter half of the week ahead. Wind chills 50 to 60 degrees below zero have been recorded in the Dakotas and northern Minnesota Saturday-Monday. The coldest wind chill observed was 58 degrees below zero in Hettinger, North Dakota, on Sunday morning.