Coldest temperatures in decades expected in Midwest

ABC News(NEW YORK) -- The South and East Coast are expecting rain and snow today as an Arctic front heads east.

Trailing this polar front is the coldest air mass seen in the U.S. in decades, and it's expected to hit the Midwest Tuesday night, into Wednesday.

Michigan already has seen 16 inches of snow, and parts of Wisconsin have seen 15 inches. Illinois got about 7.5 inches in some regions and even parts of Mississippi got a light dusting.

Almost three dozen states Tuesday morning are under alerts and advisories for winter weather.

An icy morning commute is expected in stretches from Mississippi to Georgia.

By Tuesday evening's commute, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia could be seeing snow as New York gets some rain, which later in the evening should turn into snow. Inland and in New England, heavier snowfalls are expected.

Parts of the Northeast and areas near the Great Lakes could see up to a foot of snow, while major East Coast cities including Philadelphia and Boston should expect about 2 inches, with temps declining further Tuesday night, into Wednesday.

If Minneapolis reaches a minus-49 wind chill this week, it would be the city's coldest since 1989. In Chicago, a figure of minus 21 would be the most frigid there since 1994.

Potential wind chills as low as minus 65 in Minnesota mean frostbite could occur in less than five minutes of exposure to the elements.

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