Arctic Air Chills Midwest; Howling Winds Head East

Bitter cold temperatures and snow chilled the Midwest and parts of the East on Saturday.

Winter storm warnings and watches were posted in Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Ohio and western Pennsylvania for up to 12 inches of snow and howling winds, the National Weather Service reported.

Winds gusted to nearly 60 m.p.h. in parts of Illinois as an arctic front brought sharply colder temperatures and snow flurries. Temperatures Saturday ranged from the low 20s to the 40s.

A cold front moving off the Atlantic Coast late Saturday threatened to usher in frigid air, strong winds and up to 6 inches of snow in parts of Maryland and northwest Virginia by late today. Wind chill readings--the way cold feels to the skin--were expected to dip as low as 20 below zero today in Garrett County, Md.

The cold front affected all areas near lakes Michigan, Huron and Superior. Sixteen inches of snow covered the ground in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

South Bend, Ind., braced for 6 to 12 inches of snow by early today with winds approaching 30 m.p.h. Northern Wisconsin expected 3 inches and Michigan prepared for 5 inches.

Portions of Ohio expected up to 12 inches of snow and Kentucky braced for wind chill readings below zero.

At Moline, Ill., winds behind the front were clocked at 48 m.p.h.

A second day of snow stretched from western New York state south to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

New England shivered through below-zero temperatures and prepared for a wintry storm that could dump more than 6 inches of snow on Maine. It was 9 below in Montpelier, Vt., 8 below in Houlton, Me., and 7 below in Lebanon, N.H. The weather service posted a winter storm watch for Maine, New Hampshire and eastern Vermont.

Record low temperatures chilled Bridgeport and Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. The weather service said it was 7 degrees at Bradley, breaking the record 11 degrees that was set on Dec. 2 in 1945.