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Here’s how to stay safe as a polar vortex puts the Midwest into a deep freeze this week: Do. Not. Go. Outside. Experts warn that even a short time in the blistering cold can be extremely dangerous, with the risk of hypothermia and frostbite increasing every minute. Of course, many of us have no choice: We have to go to work, take care of others, clear snow, get supplies. If you’ll be outside for any amount of time, you should dress warmly and cover any exposed skin. (Zraick, 1/29)

As temperatures in Midwestern cities plunged to levels colder than parts of Antarctica and officials warned people not to step outside even for a few minutes, Tony Neeley stood on a downtown Chicago street corner Tuesday, wearing wet sneakers and clutching a hand warmer packet in each of his bare hands. He had already been there for hours. “I’m cold and I’m afraid,” Mr. Neeley said, adding that he was trying to raise enough money from the bundled commuters rushing past to pay for a $45 motel room on a night that weather forecasters warned would send the Midwest into a deep freeze unlike anything even this region has seen in years. (Bosman and Davey, 1/29)

The bitter cold is the result of a split in the polar vortex that allowed temperatures to plunge much further south than normal. Officials throughout the region were focused on protecting vulnerable people from the cold, including the homeless, seniors and those living in substandard housing. (Nicholson, 1/30)

For some people, exposure to cold temperatures can cause a life-threatening allergic reaction called cold urticaria. As near-record low temperatures grip the region, Dr. Earlexia M. Norwood, service chief for family medicine at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital and the director of practice development for the Henry Ford Medical group, explains what cold urticaria is, and lays out what she wishes patients knew about surviving the deep freeze. (Shamus, 1/29)

Record-shattering cold, heavy snow and howling winds are descending on a broad swath of the U.S., the National Weather Service says. It's the result of one of the coldest arctic air masses to hit the country in recent memory, the agency says, forecasting bitter conditions in areas from the Upper Midwest to many Eastern states. (Chappell and Romo, 1/29)

Homeless people in the Twin Cities are being forced to sleep in light rail trains or on the streets during this week's stretch of deadly cold temperatures as most shelters are full in Minneapolis and St. Paul. ...Many shelters are open extended hours this week, but there still aren't enough beds available for people who want them, said Chris Knutson, street outreach team lead at St. Stephen's Human Services. (Nelson, 1/29)

The continental United States is 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than it was a century ago. Seas at the coasts are nine inches higher. The damage is mounting from these fundamental changes, and Americans are living it. These are their stories. (Murphy and Mooney, 1/29)