With windchills plunging, accidents and school cancellations pile up

Much of the West is avoiding the cold and messy conditions plaguing the rest of the country. The sub-zero windchills are what's making the deep freeze even more brutal. Overnight, it felt like at least 20 below in cities like Fargo and Minneapolis.

Whiteouts were paralyzing drivers, forcing them off the roads, reports Ashley Roberts of Minneapolis CBS station WCCO.

More than 650 accidents in Minnesota on Thursday prompted the state's department of transportation to advise people to stay home.

A round of lake-effect snow buried the city of Buffalo, dumping up to six inches overnight.

The temperature there is expected to reach just a frigid 19 degrees Friday, with windchills as low as negative 10.

A burst pipe in Indianapolis left cars frozen in place, their tires stuck in inches of thick ice.

The Arctic air has been blasting more than 170 million Americans for days and raising concerns about frostbite.

Classes were cancelled for thousands of students in Detroit, but one district, West Bloomfield, didn't think 3 degree temperatures were brisk enough to call off school.

Frustrated students took to Twitter, naming all of the things that were more likely to happen than them being given the day off.

One student said, "My 25 y.o. brother will get his license and move out #beforewbcloses."

The good news is that many parts of the Midwest and East Coast are expected to warm up next week.