Forecasters warned Thursday that much of the country will experience harsh cold this week and next.
The northern plummet could destroy infrastructure, induce hypothermia and frostbite, and imperil century-old records.
The National Weather Service predicted subfreezing temperatures in southern Texas and the Florida Panhandle by early next week due to arctic air.
The cold wave will begin in the northern Rockies and Plains on Thursday night and spread south and east. The first snowfall of the season is forecast in the deep South, mid-Atlantic, and Northeast by Monday and Tuesday.
Friday afternoon highs will be in the 10s in Central Plains states like Iowa and Minnesota and below zero in Montana and North Dakota. Weather service: The chilly air mass will be "lengthy" and last beyond this week.
"Temperatures will be brutal compared to the relatively mild conditions that have been experienced for much of the winter season up to this point in time," the Weather Service stated.
Despite no snow anticipated, Iowa may have its coldest Caucus Day ever on Monday when freezing temps drop. At 6 p.m. Monday, when people will check-in for Republican presidential primary candidates, temperatures are forecast to range from -1 to -5 degrees, depending on location. Nighttime wind chills could reach nearly -20 degrees, said meteorologist Brad Small.
The National Weather Service reported that Des Moines received a record 8.3 inches of snow on Tuesday, breaking Jan. 9 snowfall records. The 1957 record for Jan. 9 was 7.3 inches.