Forecasters Warn of Generational Cold

The Northeast is preparing for temperatures to plunge Thursday night and Friday, bringing conditions that the National Weather Service called "life-threatening" cold and an "epic, generational arctic outbreak." In much of New England, wind chills are forecast to drop beyond minus 30 by early Saturday, and minus 60 in northern and western Maine, the Washington Post reports. Those wind chills "could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as five minutes," warned the Weather Service office in Caribou. High elevations could experience wind chills as low as minus 90.

Other areas are under wind chill advisories, as well, including much of the northern Plains, the Upper Midwest, and Northeast regions south of New York. And New England also could be dealing with snow squalls. Boston has already decided to close schools and open warming centers Friday, per WCVB. Local officials warned of the danger, asking people to stay out of the cold. The death toll from the cold snap and ice storms that hit parts of the South this week has climbed to eight, per CNN. (More cold weather stories.)