Ahead of another arctic blast expected to start hitting U.S. cities, the country's coldest temperatures today fell well below zero.
the lowest temperatures for the Lower 48 states Wednesday were recorded in Colorado, Kentucky, Minnesota and Wyoming.
The National Weather Service said Wednesday afternoon that a temperature of minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded in Monticello, Kentucky
The frigid temperature was recorded 31 miles northeast of Forest Center, Minnesota, near the U.S.-Canada border.
A temperature of minus 37 degrees was recorded in two places in Wyoming
According to the weather service, the states that are expected to be the coldest are Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the coldest temperature ever recorded for the country was minus 80 degrees on Jan. 23, 1971
For the Lower 48, the record was also set in January, over 15 years earlier.