It may be almost March, but the brutally cold winter appears unwilling to release much of the nation from its icy grip.
Yet another Arctic blast was already descending on two-thirds of the country early Friday, with meteorologists predicting everywhere east of the Rockies except for Florida would be 10 to 30 degrees below average.
Subzero temperatures were expected from interior New England to the Upper Midwest and forecasters said dozens more daily records were likely to tumble.
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"We're almost into March now so it's pretty late to see this kind of cold," The Weather Channel's Michael Palmer said. "The cold this February has been brutal, and there doesn't look like there will be any let-up until late next week."
Subzero cold had already arrived in the Dakotas, Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa by 4 a.m. ET and temperature records were expected to fall in those areas throughout the morning. The icy blast was expected to shift east throughout the day, Palmer said.
While the cold remained relentless, there was a brief rest from snow and ice for much of the nation. More than 100,000 homes and businesses were still without power in the Carolinas, Virginia, Alabama and Georgia, after those states were hit with as much as 10 inches of snow Wednesday.
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The only areas getting snow early Friday were Oklahoma, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Another band of snow was forecast to hit the Midwest on Saturday and shift into the Northeast on Sunday.