Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Tampa Bay news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Charlotte news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
In New York City on Wednesday. Photo: Scott Olson via Getty Images
Temperatures overnight sank into the negative double digits in nearly a dozen states, with the polar vortex descending on the Midwest and threatening to break all-time cold records.
The big picture: Mail deliveries have been suspended, schools and businesses closed, and Midwesterners warned that the frigid cold is not to be trifled with. Even so, some brave souls have ventured outside to test out the temperatures.
Go deeper: