The Polar Vortex has triggered some of the coldest arctic weather seen in many places across the US for at least the last two decades. If you are 25 years or younger, you have essentially never felt weather this cold within your lifetime.

The Sioux Falls School district decided on an early dismissal for students on Tuesday, Jan. 29 and a full day of school off for Wednesday, Jan. 30 due to the bitterly cold winter days covering the Midwest and Northern US.

During the Winter, the Polar Vortex at the North Pole expands and sends cold air Southward. Millions of people across the US are facing record high wind chills from -40 to negative -65 degrees. However, the core of the cold will not spread too far and is likely to remain in the Northern third of the country.

When the weather is extremely cold like this, a person can get frostbite in less than 5 minutes if their skin is left exposed outdoors. That is why it is essential to deal with these dangerously low weather forecasts and elements in a responsible and intelligent manner. The best piece of advice individuals should follow would be to simply dress warm and stay indoors while these cold temperatures remain around.

Fortunately, the cold weather is not expected to last long. Warmer weather is predicted to return as soon as Friday, bringing predicted temperatures as warm as 35 degrees to cities like Sioux Falls, which will feel like a sauna for all of the hardy midwesterners here.