Axios

Extreme cold broke longstanding records Friday into Saturday as the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic U.S. continues dealing with temperatures in the single or negative digits, along with gusty winds.

Driving the news: The life-threatening cold is impacting millions living in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Boston, for example, saw its coldest low temperature reading in decades.

A potent cold snap descending on New England Friday morning that's expected to last into early Sunday threatens to bring wind chills approaching record low levels.

Threat level: With wind chills forecast to reach -10°F in New York City, -33°F in Boston, and as low as -60°F in northern Maine on Saturday morning, the cold could be deadly for anyone caught outside for extended periods.

January featured what meteorologists referred to as a "blowtorch" pattern in the East, with consistently milder than average weather conditions and barely any snow.

By the numbers: Most cities, particularly those east of the Mississippi River, saw a top 15 warmest January.

The effects of a severe storm in the U.S. South that killed at least 10 people and forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights after unleashing sleet, snow and freezing rain were still being felt Friday.

The big picture: While temperatures were expected to return to the 40s and 50s across the region on Friday following the multi-day storm, an estimated 289,000 customers were without power in Texas in the morning.