The U.S. National Weather Service said Saturday the life-threatening cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills that a good portion of the country is currently experiencing could create “a potentially life-threatening hazard for travelers that become stranded, individuals that work outside, livestock and domestic pets.”

The weather service said, “If you must travel or be out in the elements, prepare for extreme cold by dressing in layers, covering as much exposed areas of skin as possible and pack winter safety kits in your vehicles. In some areas, being outdoors could lead to frostbite in minutes.”

“Blizzard Warnings, Winter Storm Warnings, Winter Weather Advisories and High Winds Warnings blanket much of the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes region, Ohio Valley and parts of the Northeast,” according to the NWS.

The service said there will also be “extremely dangerous travel with whiteout conditions where blizzard conditions occur, expect periodic whiteouts with near-zero visibility and considerable blowing and drifting of snow. Traveling in these conditions will be extremely dangerous, to at times impossible.”

The NWS said the Arctic blast that a large part of the country has experienced is spreading to the Eastern states Saturday.

Temperatures will be well below average from east of the Rockies to the Appalachians, the weather service warned.

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