Wind chills of -40 probably happen a minimum of once a year in most of these areas.
And this blast is a long way from records:
1978:
Blizzard conditions affected most of Iowa on January 26-27, with snow blown by winds in excess of 50 mph into drifts as high as 13 feet and wind chill values dropping to as low as -70 F.
Most roads were closed including Interstate 35 as thousands of cars and trucks were stranded along the roadways and in ditches. Schools and businesses were closed across the state.
Further east the storm system produced record amounts of snow in parts of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.
I remember it. We lived in Newport, Rhode Island, at the time. My mother, brother, and I sat in the kitchen, using the oven for heat, playing Monopoly, for days.
Yep hard to forget that blizzard, it is the only time I saw every road get shut down for a day in the county (Hillsdale, Michigan). They only thing that got around was snowmobiles. The county Hospital had a whole team of snowmobiles to get the nurses and workers to work. It took three days before we saw a plow out in the county, 5 miles out of town. Snow everywhere, mostly drifted, unreal drifts.
And the stories that can be told, by the grace of God. Maybe we should have a "where were you during the Blizzard of 78?" thread.