The “polar vortex” is bringing arctic weather to the mid-west, East Coast and some areas of the southern United States.
The record cold means thousands of flights have been canceled as 26 states are under wind chill warnings or watches.
But while the U.S. experiences record cold, some Alaska communities used to the deep freeze are seeing unseasonably warm weather.
Residents of Fairbanks told Channel 2 News that they didn’t have much sympathy for people in the Lower 48. The cold won’t last too long down there, most reasoned, suggesting people put on some warm layers that dry quickly, and take it easy on the roads until warmer weather returns.
The story of the “polar vortex” can be glimpsed in an unusual inversion of “normal” temperatures in two cities that share a name. In Fairbanks, Alaska, Monday’s weather saw a high of about 20 degrees, while Fairbanks, Indiana had a high of -9. With wind chill, the temperatures down south felt closer to -27.
Johnny McDermott is a resident in Alaska’s Fairbanks, and said the inversion was creating perfect weather in the Golden Heart City.
“This is awesome!” McDermott said, wearing a t-shirt in front of a sign displaying the temperatures as 15 degrees. “Anything above 20 below is top notch.”
While the temperatures are considered warm in Fairbanks now, by the weekend the weather will once again dip to -22 in Fairbanks, Alaska. Further south, in Fairbanks, Indiana, the temperature is also expected to return to normal: a balmy 43 degrees.