Arctic blast to bring dangerously cold temperatures to much of US

Inauguration on track to be coldest in 40 years as more than 300 million people could be hit by below-average freeze

Arctic air is expected to sweep across much of the United States later this week and into next week, bringing dangerously cold temperatures and severe wind chills.

The National Weather Service has warned that this frigid air will move over the Rockies and Great Plains on Friday and by Saturday night, it will head toward the Gulf coast and midwest, reaching the east coast by Sunday night.