GLASGOW — Forecasters said Monday that dangerously cold wind chills reaching as low as 55 degrees below zero will set in across the Northern Plains this week, as an arctic air mass lingers over the central U.S.
The National Weather Service issued wind chill warnings and advisories for large areas of Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota and northern portions of Wisconsin and Michigan.
The bitter freeze is expected to last for at least the next seven days, with high temperatures staying below zero for much of the region into the weekend.
The forecasted wind chills can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as five minutes.
Residents of the region were warned to avoid outside activities if possible, and cover all exposed skin when outside. Parents were advised not to leave their children alone in the cold at school bus stops.