OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska saw a number of low-temperature records broken Monday - and expected more Tuesday - as a polar vortex pushed Arctic air into the Plains.
The National Weather Service said record lows broken early Monday were seen in Omaha, Lincoln, Hastings and North Platte.
In Omaha, the temperature dropped to 15 below zero, breaking the old daily record of 12 below set on Feb. 15, 1936. Lincoln hit 16 degrees below overnight, breaking the previous low of 11 below set on Feb. 15, 1978.
In Hastings, the temperature fell to 26 below - the coldest day in the month of February in the city's history and breaking the previous record of 22 below. North Platte saw a low of 29 below, shattering the previous Feb. 15 record of 23 below set in 1881.
Even with the record-breaking temperatures, none fell as low as Valentine in north-central Nebraska early Monday, which saw the mercury dip to 33 below zero.
The weather service issued a wind chill advisory for the entire state, warning that even moderate winds were expected to push the "feels like" temperature to as low as 50 below zero. Wind chills that low could result in frostbite on exposed skin in just minutes, the weather service warned.
The cold and the Presidents Day holiday led schools around the state closed in-person classes on Monday.
Bitter temperatures were expected to deepen overnight into Tuesday morning, the weather service said, with the area's wind chill advisory set to expire Tuesday afternoon. Temperatures were expected to rise above zero on Wednesday and into double digits - but still below freezing - later in the week.