On the streets of Manhattan, people wrapped up in their warmest clothes as they made their daily commute, with temperatures hovering in the high teens Fahrenheit on Monday. People could be seen sporting scarfs, woollen hats and jackets to combat the cold weather, which was around minus seven degrees Celsius. According to the National Weather Service, New Yorkers are in for several days of unusually frigid weather. On her way to work, Nicolene Hanson said she could not believe how cold the weather was for this time of year. "It is freezing cold, I can't believe it. My face is like ice, everything, and my nose, you can see it," she said. But spare a thought of those who have to work outside in the freezing conditions. New York construction workers are having to grin and bare the icy weather. "I take a break about every hour, go in the truck, sit and warm up, then I come back out again," said construction worker Vinnie Lodato. New York homeless shelters are operating at full capacity, with homeless outreach organisations trying to get as many people off the streets before nightfall. Readings in the 30's (minus one Celsius) are average this time of year, but temperatures were expected to remain below freezing most of the week. Brisk winds will make it feel still icier, as cold as five degrees below zero, the weather service said.
But New Yorkers can take some cold comfort from the fact that there are no snow or ice storms in the forecast. A bone-chilling Arctic cold wave with temperatures as low as 22 fahrenheit (minus five below zero Celsius) shut down schools for thousands of youngsters on Monday and halted some Amtrak service and disabled car batteries from the northern Plains across the Great Lakes. And Chicago was feeling the cold as well, as rivers started to ice over. Timothy Johnson had to spend the day delivering sandwiches on his bicycle and proved the length people will go to make a dollar. "It's brutal but I need the money." Construction worker Frank Drozd said, "I just gotta grin and bear it that's all, you just gotta go out there and you know just bear the cold weather that's all you have to do you know it's just something most constructions workers have to do all the time." But field truck driver Bill Coffey said he can cope with the cold and it's all about dressing to the conditions. "I just have to dress right, bundle up, layers, I have a nice mask to put on so I'm good to go," he added It's cold in Illinois but there's a small reprieve in sight. Temperatures dipped as low as minus 15 in Freeport, in the northwest part of the state, on Monday. But the National Weather Service says a low-pressure system and accompanying cloud cover should ease bitter temperatures slightly on Tuesday.
But New Yorkers can take some cold comfort from the fact that there are no snow or ice storms in the forecast. A bone-chilling Arctic cold wave with temperatures as low as 22 fahrenheit (minus five below zero Celsius) shut down schools for thousands of youngsters on Monday and halted some Amtrak service and disabled car batteries from the northern Plains across the Great Lakes. And Chicago was feeling the cold as well, as rivers started to ice over. Timothy Johnson had to spend the day delivering sandwiches on his bicycle and proved the length people will go to make a dollar. "It's brutal but I need the money." Construction worker Frank Drozd said, "I just gotta grin and bear it that's all, you just gotta go out there and you know just bear the cold weather that's all you have to do you know it's just something most constructions workers have to do all the time." But field truck driver Bill Coffey said he can cope with the cold and it's all about dressing to the conditions. "I just have to dress right, bundle up, layers, I have a nice mask to put on so I'm good to go," he added It's cold in Illinois but there's a small reprieve in sight. Temperatures dipped as low as minus 15 in Freeport, in the northwest part of the state, on Monday. But the National Weather Service says a low-pressure system and accompanying cloud cover should ease bitter temperatures slightly on Tuesday.