Frigid Cold Hits Midwest as Powerful Storms Leave Thousands Without Power

Wed Dec 31 2025 03:52:48 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A severe cold front is sweeping through the U.S. Midwest, causing wind chills to plummet near zero degrees and leaving many without electricity in the wake of a powerful winter storm.

Extreme cold has taken hold across the Midwest, affecting Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This follows a powerful storm characterized as a bomb cyclone, which pounded the region with heavy snow and intense winds. Thousands remain without power, while forecasters warn of dangerously low temperatures and dangerous travel conditions. Residents in impacted areas are urged to stay indoors as the conditions worsen heading into the New Year.

The Midwest is experiencing another wave of severe cold weather, with temperatures plunging to dangerous levels. Parts of Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are facing wind chills near zero degrees, prompting safety warnings from meteorologists.

As electric utilities work to restore power to thousands affected by a powerful winter storm, residents are being advised to stay indoors as temperatures continue to drop.

The recent system, a bomb cyclone, delivered heavy snow, ice, and strong winds to the Midwest and Northeast, causing treacherous travel conditions. The storm was so intense that it was classified as a bomb cyclone due to its rapid intensification.

Nick Korstad, an inhabitant of the Big Bay Point Lighthouse in Michigan, noted it was the strongest storm he had encountered since moving there, with winds exceeding 75 mph, leading to prolonged power outages.

“The entire house rumbles, the windows flex, and you can feel the pounding of the waves against the cliffs,” Korstad described the ferocity of the winds and waves.

In Wisconsin, highs are expected to remain in the mid-teens during the day, with nighttime temperatures expected to drop into the single digits and even lower. As New Year's Day approaches, wind chills could reach between negative 20 to negative 25 degrees.

As the Arctic air spreads, nearly 74,000 customers across the nation are without power, with a significant number in Michigan. While frigid air continues to cause disruption, lake-effect snow is also expected in areas downwind of the Great Lakes, exacerbating conditions further.

In New York, areas are bracing for significant snowfall, which could see totals reach three feet in some regions, with travel advisories being put in place to ensure safety.

As usual, Alaska is experiencing its typical winter chill, but reports have indicated an unusually long stretch of cold with temperatures dipping as low as minus 48 degrees Fahrenheit in Fairbanks.

As the cold front progresses, residents across the affected states are urged to monitor weather updates and prepare for potentially dangerous conditions.