ERIE WEATHER

Associated Press

ERIE, Pa.

A Christmas storm dumped a record amount of snow on Erie, Pa., and surrounding areas.

The National Weather Service office in Cleveland said Monday’s storm brought 34 inches of snow, an all-time daily snowfall record for Erie.

An additional 19 inches fell before dawn Tuesday, bringing the total to 53 inches, the greatest two-day total in commonwealth history. The previous record was the 44 inches that fell in Morgantown in March 1958.

Erie issued a snow emergency, citing “dangerous and impassable” roads. It asked residents to stay off streets until the snow stops and roads can reopen.

State police and the state Department of Transportation are urging people to avoid travel, citing poor visibility and deteriorating conditions.

A white Christmas for much of the Northeast and Midwest has given way to bitter cold until the New Year.

Chicago-area National Weather Service meteorologist Amy Seeley said to expect colder-than-normal temperatures the rest of the week.

Temperatures hovered around zero degrees in Chicago on Tuesday.

Meteorologists warn of sub-zero frigid arctic air and dangerously cold wind chills.

Wind-chill advisories or warnings are in effect for all of North Dakota and Wisconsin, as well as swaths of South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan and Indiana.

Wind-chill advisories are also in effect for parts of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York.

Meteorologists say frostbite is possible with as little as 30 minutes of exposure.