Life-threatening cold has moved into the Northeast as South reels from ice storm - CNN

A brutal blast of dangerously cold winds is expectedto sweep across the Northeast and New England on Friday, prompting officials to close schools and activate emergency plans as the region braces for record-breaking sub-zero temperatures.

Frigid air feeling as cold as 32 degrees Fahrenheit below zero across much of the region will be combined with gusty winds, a nasty double-whammy that could lead to frostbite in as little as 10 minutes in some areas.

In the meantime, officials across several states have begun imploring residents to stay indoors and have ramped up warming center efforts to accommodate some of the most vulnerable to the cold.

Officials in New York’s Erie County – home to Buffalo – issued a code blue, which allows for those experiencing homelessness to seek shelter overnight when temperatures plummet below 32 degrees.

Maine will likely bear the brunt of the storm in terms of longevity as well as severity at times, with more than 70,000 people in the northern portion of the state under blizzard warnings, according to the National Weather Service.

Bangor, Maine: Temperatures will begin dropping after midnight Friday and reach their lowest of minus 21 degrees Fahrenheit during the early morning hours Saturday.