JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Snow has blanketed Washington, D.C., for the first time this winter, and much of the country is now in the grips of an Arctic blast.
(SOUNDBITE OF MONTAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #1: Minus 20 or so.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #2: And most result in sleet as well. And the frigid conditions out there...
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #3: We're in that dangerously cold territory. If you go outside with any exposed skin right now...
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #4: You need the hat. You need the mittens. You need the gloves. You need scarf. You need everything to protect your skin.
SUMMERS: Snow and sleet in Oregon left more than a hundred thousand people without power over the weekend. Meanwhile, in Dickinson, N.D., it was -33 Fahrenheit. With the wind, it felt like -70. And even far south of there - Austin, Texas, set a new record daily low temperature today at 16 degrees. Officials are urging people to limit time outdoors, so stay inside if you can, and please drive safely. And we are also sending warm wishes to our colleagues reporting on the caucuses in Iowa, where it is more than 30 degrees below freezing.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ICE ICE BABY")
VANILLA ICE: (Singing) Ice, ice, baby. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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