Arctic blast to hit two thirds of US

NBC News  - An Arctic blast dumping snow on the Midwest is expected to eventually cover two-thirds of the nation and bring record cold to the South.

The blast broke off from the polar vortex above Canada, sending the cold air south. A list of National Weather Service bulletins shows more than 105 million people are the subject of advisories, watches and warnings on freezing conditions, winter weather and lake effect snow.

The cold sweep is forecast to spread across the eastern two-thirds of the nation, and it could bring freezing temperatures to much of the South by Tuesday while setting low temperature records, the weather service said in last night’s national forecast discussion.  Afternoon highs in parts of the South were expected to be 10 to 25 degrees below normal.