The past few weeks have been unbearably cold for anyone who lives in the Midwest or on the northern portion of the East Coast of the United States. Over this past weekend, the weekend of the 19th to 20th of January, states surrounding the Great Lakes and in the New England region got slammed with snow, causing school closings and travel cancellations. While many attempts to dig themselves and their homes out of the snow that has seemed to bury half the Nation, weather advisories continue to say that the worst may still be yet to come.

The winter storm currently brewing in the upper Midwest has already caused road closings and car accidents, not to mention delaying of flights. The effect of this arctic blast won't end just with snow, but will bring temperatures in the negative degrees to both the Midwest and later the Northeast. The subzero temperatures have already broken records in parts of Massachusetts, and even for those who are used to cold winters, this one, in particular, has brought many challenges.

Among these challenges is the obstacle to stay warm. National Grid, an electricity, and gas utility company, cut gas services to over 7,000 Rhode Island residents, forcing the governor of the state to declare a state of emergency and urge all residents to find shelter to keep warm. Without gas heating services, both the state and those who live in it are in for a bitterly cold week and weekend.

Extreme weather is never something to mess around with. For those having to brace the cold, cautionary measures such as staying off the roads and staying indoors are a must, as black ice and frostbite are two things that one should avoid as much as possible. In these extreme and dangerous conditions, the most anyone can hope for is to stay safe, and to stay warm. This winter, as it seems, may not exactly be a winter wonderland, but a winter weather nightmare.