Blowing Snow and Frigid Temperatures Assail Nation

Near the shore of Lake Superior, Ironwood, Mich., fell to 25 below zero around midnight, then warmed to an 8 a.m. reading of only 8 below, the National Weather Service said.

Winter weather rocks the nation

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Farther south, morning temperatures were in the 20s from Texas to Georgia, and along the Gulf Coast the weather service reported a low of just 28 at Mobile, Ala.

Freddie Falgout wore a stocking cap, two pairs of gloves and a heavy leather jacket against the 40-degree chill on his morning three-mile walk in Pensacola Beach, Fla. "It's supposed to be colder tomorrow morning but you'll still me out here, I need the exercise," he said.

Even northern Georgia and Kentucky could see single-digit lows by Friday, with zero possible at Lexington, warned weather service meteorologist John Denman. Kentucky hasn't been that cold since December 2004.

The cold was accompanied by ice and snow that glazed pavement and was blamed for numerous traffic accidents Tuesday from Minnesota to Indiana.

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The bitter cold also was blamed for at least one death Tuesday. A 51-year-old man died of exposure in northern Wisconsin after wandering from his home in Hayward when the temperature was 16 below. Deputies said the man's family reported he was prone to sleepwalking.

The cold kept towing and auto repair companies busy across Wisconsin, along with public works crews dealing with frozen pipes and water mains. "We're working basically 24 hours a day with broken mains," said Dave Goldapp with Milwaukee Public Works.

As the coldest air pushed toward the east, there was a slight improvement on the northern Plains, where Grand Forks, N.D., posted a low Wednesday of 24 below zero, up from Tuesday's record low of 37 below. In Minnesota, International Falls dropped to minus 40 on Tuesday.

North Dakota also has been coping with deep snow — more than 60 inches so far this season at Bismarck.

North Dakota highway department snowplow drivers are working overtime to keep pace with the snow. "It's hard on the home life, but we're keeping the roads open," said Mike Stebbins, a snowplow driver for 20 years. Wednesday was his 52nd straight day on the job, and with more snow and wind forecast he didn't see a day off coming anytime soon.