CHICAGO and most of the Midwest is being hit by snow and record low temperatures by a storm that could linger in the area though Thursday. Image is from a 2015 snow storm in Chicago (Flickr/Edward Stojakovic).

The Midwest is hunkering down as mighty winds and heavy snow are lashing the central part of the nation. The Associated Press is reporting that over 1,000 airline flights in and out of Chicago have been cancelled, but things will get worse before they get better.

Under siege the worst by the cold weather are Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin. Temperatures are expected to plunge into negative territory and with wind-chill factors added in, conditions in some areas will be equivalent to 50 to 60 degrees below freezing.

Cold weather warnings now span from North Dakota to Missouri and Ohio as residents, businesses and governments brace for one of the coldest winter storms ever. Many schools have been closed, and traffic slowed or stopped in some areas.
Temperatures are expected to continue to fall through Thursday.

The National Weather Service is calling the arctic air mass behind the cold snap to be “very dangerous and life-threatening.” Being outside without sufficient protective clothing exposes people to frostbite and hypothermia, both of which can be deadly.

State of the Union set for Feb. 5

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi extended an invitation Monday to President Donald Trump to deliver the 2019 State of the Union address in the chamber of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

The original date for the address was Jan. 29, but that was postponed during the 35-day partial government shutdown.

Four policemen shot in Houston incident

While serving a search warrant Monday in Houston, four police officers were shot. The officers returned fire, killing two people. A fifth officer suffered a knee injury.

Two of the four officers underwent surgery and were listed in critical but stable condition. The two others suffered lesser wounds and are expected to recover.

The incident was part of an investigation by narcotics officers at a house suspected of being used for selling illegal drugs. The names of the suspects or the wounded officers were not released.