Cold Arctic air freezes most of America

Almost 80% of the country encountered sub-zero temperatures overnight yesterday, ending the almost two-year snow drought in NYC, closing down schools, delaying flights, and freezing much of the West.

At least seven deaths have been linked to the weather, with authorities advising people to stay indoors and travel with caution. More than 140 million are under wind chill advisories or warnings.

Several incidents required tow trucks to move the cars. In some cases, Tesla owners had to wait hours for their EVs to charge. “A charge that should take 45 minutes is taking two hours,” one individual told CBS News Chicago.

More than 3,000 flights were canceled or delayed, with Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and New York’s LaGuardia Airport experiencing the worst disruptions, according to FlightAware.com.

Students seemed to enjoy their snow-covered long weekend, with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday followed by school closures on Tuesday.

The freezing temperatures should briefly decrease tomorrow, but another blast of cold Arctic air is expected later this week, says the NWS.