Winter holds eastern U.S. in icy grip with record lows

http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2015/02/20/winter-weather-cold-snow-record-temperatures/23728379/

A bitter, record-setting cold air mass kept its icy grip on much of the central and eastern U.S. on Friday, bringing subzero temperatures and showing no sign of relief next week for winter-weary residents from Florida to New England.

At least 72 record low temperatures were set Friday morning, all the way from Marquette, Mich. (minus 26 degrees) to Miami (42 degrees).

In Minnesota, the community of Cotton posted an overnight low of minus 42 degrees, without the wind-chill factor, the National Weather Service reports. In western Pennsylvania, temperatures dipped to minus 18 degrees in some areas.

"An eddy of the polar vortex is leading to the coldest weather of this recent cold spell, creating a deep layer of bitterly cold air, along with gusty winds," said meteorologist David Hamrick of the weather service's Weather Prediction Center.

Lynchburg, Va., plummeted to minus 11 degrees Friday morning, setting a new all-time record low, the Weather Channel reported. Flint, Mich., tied its all-time record low of minus 25, while Cleveland set an all-time February low of minus 17.