Arctic freeze continues to blast huge swaths of the US with sub-zero temperatures

A dangerous Arctic blast will continue sweeping across the U.S. on Monday and linger through at least midweek, prolonging a bitter cold that set record-low temperatures in parts of the country and threatens to further disrupt daily life, including an NFL playoff game as well as the Iowa caucuses. .. Montana and the Dakotas plunged to 50 degrees below zero, while other parts of the country could see temperatures drop 25 to 40 degrees below normal, from the Rockies to the Ohio Valley. As temperatures in Texas plunged, the state’s power grid operator appealed to residents to voluntarily conserve electricity Monday morning. In Oregon, more than 120,000 homes and businesses were without electricity after high winds, snow and ice brought down trees and power lines. Read more.