MADISON: On Wednesday Millions across the Midwest experienced a freeze normally reserved for the Arctic Circle as temperatures dropped to nearly 50 degrees below zero. The terrible cold, expected to bottom out with record lows Thursday morning, was blamed for several deaths across the region, and fears for the most vulnerable populations soared as night fell.

While the nearly unthinkable temperatures caused airline gas lines to freeze and electrical grids to collapse, and they kept much of the northern United States homebound. Power outages roiled swaths of Wisconsin and Iowa, plunging thousands into brief, unheated darkness. The dry, frigid air froze exposed water instantly, led to spontaneous nosebleeds, and made even brief forays outdoors extremely hazardous.

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Officials in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota had linked six deaths to the weather as of Wednesday night, including several people who probably froze to death. Governors in Wisconsin and Michigan declared states of emergency and ordered all state government offices closed; some state agencies in Illinois were closed Wednesday, as well.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said that "he is urging people to prepare for this severe weather and to exercise caution when travelling or going outdoors,". The capitol building here, where people sought shelter during business hours, remained open as the temperatures outside plunged to minus-24; the estimated wind chill made it feel like minus-48 degrees.

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