Extreme Cold Blamed for 17 Deaths in Midwest, Northeast; Frostbite Injuries Quickly Adding Up in Chicago

At least 17 people died as a result of the bitter cold brought on by the Polar Vortex that ushered in the coldest Arctic air the Midwest and Northeast has seen in decades. Though school closures continue and mail delivery is still on hold in some states due to the cold, temperatures are expected to turn milder by the weekend, including parts of the upper Midwest that could be 60-plus degrees warmer than they were at the worst of the cold snap.

(MORE: How Long Will the Extreme Cold Last?)

The 17 deaths include:

Burlington, Vermont, police said a 19-year-old University of Vermont student was found dead Saturday morning behind a business, the Associated Press reported. The police said sub-zero temperatures and inadequate clothing likely contributed to his death.

Cold exposure contributed to the deaths of three people in Chicago, the Sun-Times reported: Linda Czech, 62, died Friday, and Joanne O’Donnell, 73, and Jimmie Flewellen, 92, died Thursday, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Ninety-year-old Ada Salna of Three Rivers, Michigan, was found dead outside her home on Wednesday, according to WOOD-TV. She got locked out in the frigid weather after she went out to feed the birds, the report added.

William L. Murphy, of Moline, a 69-year-old FedEx worker, was found dead between two tractor-trailers outside the East Moline, Illinois, delivery hub Thursday morning, according to police Capt. Darren Gault.

(MORE: Recapping a Once-in-a-Generation Arctic Outbreak)

A 60-year-old woman was found dead in an abandoned Lorain, Ohio, home Wednesday morning during the spell of subzero temperatures. Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans told the Chronicle-Telegram the woman appeared to have died of hypothermia.

A homeless man was found frozen to death Thursday morning in a bus shelter in the village of Williamsville in Amherst, New York, the Buffalo News reports.

Gary Sammons, 70, of Ecorse, Michigan, was found dead outside his home Wednesday, according to WILX.com. Sammons wasn't dressed appropriately for the cold and had no hat or gloves.

In Detroit, a 70-year-old man was also found dead in front of a neighbor's home Wednesday.

A 60-year-old man was found dead Wednesday outdoors in East Lansing, Michigan, the Free Press reported. An autopsy will determine the cause of death, although foul play is not suspected.

University of Iowa student Gerald Belz, 18, was found dead on campus Wednesday morning, KCRG reported. The exact details leading to his death are unclear, but officials told the news station that the cold weather was to blame.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office is investigating the death of an unidentified 38-year-old woman found frozen in her unheated apartment Wednesday. An investigation revealed the thermostat in her apartment had malfunctioned.

An 82-year-old Peoria County, Illinois, man was found dead after he tripped and fell outside his home and fell victim to the cold temperatures, NEWS 25 reported.

(PHOTOS: Polar Vortex Brings Deep Freeze to Millions)

Two people were found dead outside their homes in Delaware County, Indiana, Saturday, believed to be cold-related. An unidentified 87-year-old woman was found outside her home Saturday, RTV6 reports. Delaware County Coroner Rick Hoover says her death appears to be cold-related, pending toxicology reports. A 59-year-old man was also found dead outside his home on Tuesday. Hoover says that man's death is also believed to be linked to the cold.

On Sunday, the body of 22-year-old Ali Gombo was discovered outside his sister's home in Rochester, Minnesota, WCCO reports. Police say he went to a bar Saturday night and was dropped off at the home around 2:30 a.m. He didn't have keys to the home and when he found the home locked he reportedly tried to wake his sister but she didn't hear him. Gombo's body was found the next morning. Authorities say he likely died of hypothermia trying to get into the home.

Frostbite Injuries Quickly Adding Up

Illinois hospitals have treated 144 frostbite victims since the blast of arctic air gripped the state, including a number of patients that may lose limbs.

"It's a horrific situation," Dr. Stathis Poulakidas, who heads Chicago's John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital's burn and wound care services, told CNN. In that hospital alone, some 50 people have been treated for frostbite during this cold snap, the report added.

Around 150 cases of frostbite is typically the benchmark for a brutal season, said Poulakidas. From what this season has shown so far, this could be one of them.

The vast majority of victims treated for frostbite tend to be homeless or have jobs that require them to be outside during the frigid temperatures.

Poulakidas said frostbite can set in as quickly as three to 10 minutes with conditions as extreme as Chicago has seen lately. Factors like age, alcohol consumption and apparel — like wet socks and gloves — can affect how quickly it can set in.

The break in the Polar Vortex brought a wind chill of minus 66 degrees Fahrenheit in Minnesota early Wednesday and wind chills of minus 58 in Wisconsin and Iowa.

Several major Midwest universities remain closed Thursday, including the University of Notre Dame, the University of Minnesota, the University of North Dakota, the University of Wisconsin, the University of South Dakota and Iowa State University.

In a rare move, the cold prompted the U.S. Postal Service to ignore the popular saying, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." Instead, the service once again suspended service Thursday to parts or all of several Midwest states, including Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

More than 3,000 flights have been canceled as of Thursday evening, including more than 1,400 at Chicago's O'Hare, according to Flight Aware.

Here's a full breakdown of how different states in the Midwest are faring under the bitter cold:

Illinois

A state of emergency remains in effect for the state.

On Wednesday, 21 passengers on a Chicago-bound bus were rescued when the bus broke down on Interstate 55 near Springfield. The cause of the break down was gelled diesel fuel from the cold. The passengers endured cold temperatures on the bus for a significant amount of time before they were rescued.

Temperatures dipped to minus 23 degrees Wednesday morning at Chicago's O'Hare, with a wind chill of minus 49. The last time temperatures dropped below minus 20 in the Windy City was Jan. 18, 1994.

Calling the brutal cold a "public health risk," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said city agencies are making sure homeless people are in shelters or offered space in five Chicago Transit Authority buses.

The Salvation Army told weather.com they are partnering with city officials to conduct well-being checks. It's also providing meals at shelters, delivering cold weather gear packages and deploying mobile feeding and homeless outreach units to 31 locations in the city.

Chicagoland schools and most colleges in the state remain closed Thursday.

The Brookfield Zoo is closed on Thursday because of the frigid weather. This will be only the fourth time the zoo has closed during its 85-year history.

Other Chicago attractions closed Thursday include the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum.

Amtrak says it is restoring some train service in and out of Chicago Thursday after suspending all trains Wednesday. Typically, 55 trains come in and out of the Chicago hub.

To prevent train tracks from contracting under the bitter cold, Chicago transit authorities set fire to the tracks.

The Chicago Transit Authority noted that the extreme cold can cause mechanical issues so commuters should expect delays.

An unidentified good Samaritan reportedly picked up the hotel tab for 70 homeless people who were camped in tents in Chicago Wednesday. The offer apparently came after the Chicago Fire Department confiscated propane tanks the people were using to keep warm.

Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, a state of emergency will remain in effect through Friday. Schools were also closed throughout the state as temperatures plummeted.

"I want to make sure all state assets are available, including the Wisconsin National Guard if needed, to help communities across the state and keep people warm and safe," Evers said.

(MORE: Here's the Coldest It's Ever Been in Your State)

The Ice Castles attraction, about 90 miles from Chicago on Lake Geneva, remained closed Thursday.

“The health and safety of our guests and our staff is our number one priority,” Ice Castles CEO Ryan Davis said in a statement. “No one should be outdoors for an extended amount of time in extreme sub-zero temperatures.”

Michigan

In Michigan, a state of emergency remains in effect. Hundreds of schools were canceled Thursday and nonessential government offices were also closed, including the Capitol.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is urging residents to turn down thermostats to "65 degrees or less" after a fire erupted at a natural gas plant in Macomb County Wednesday.

Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said homeless shelters in the city were becoming "overloaded." They also were filling up in Detroit.

"People don't want to be out there right now," said Brennan Ellis, 53, who is taking shelter at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.

Numerous schools, attractions, government offices and business closed Thursday. Central Michigan University, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, among others, are also closed.

Two dozen water mains froze in Detroit.

Minnesota

Pipes froze at a water tower in White Bear Township, causing water to overflow from the water tower, spill onto roadways. The water quickly turned the roads to sheet of ice, the White Bear Township reported via Facebook.

The extreme cold cracked rail along the Minneapolis light-rail system, forcing trains onto a single track.

The extreme cold prompted the Minnesota Department of Transportation to halt snow plow operations in 11 southeastern counties. MDot officials said the cold was causing mechanical issues with the snowplows.

As with most states gripped by the dangerous cold, schools, government offices and businesses remain closed.

Ohio

Numerous schools and universities, including the University of Toledo, Case Western Reserve University, the University of Akron and Bowling Green State and Youngstown State universities are closed Thursday. The Ohio State University canceled classes Thursday until 11 a.m.

In Toledo, all non-essential city offices are closed through Thursday. Courthouses, libraries and many county agencies in Toledo also will be shut down through Friday.

In Cleveland, county buildings and courthouses were closed.

Indiana

An Indiana State Trooper tweeted Wednesday that Interstate 65 was becoming a "parking lot with broken down semis." Master Trooper Glen Fifield said the problem stems from fuel filters freezing and gelled fuel.

A Zebra died due to cold exposure in Carroll County. The Zebra got stuck in the fence and froze in the extreme cold.

The temperature fell to minus 11 degrees Wednesday in Indianapolis, which tied the record low for the date set in 1966.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.