The sub-zero temperatures across the Midwest and eastern portion of the United States is predicted to last through February. The coldness is very unexpected following last year, which did not feature much snow, let alone bitter temperatures.

Westerners may rejoice but actually all 50 states, including Hawaii, will be experiencing below-freezing temperatures this week, although the northern United States gets it the worst with below-zero wind chill being common.

"We're going to be stuck in this pattern through the end of January," said meteorologist Alex Sosnowski, adding that this type of weather is a "once-in-a-decade kind of event," meaning that if you chose this year to move to the Midwest it was the wrong move.

Midwest cities, including Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis and Cincinnati, have all seen record highs for the amount of snow that has fallen already this winter.

The snow is also affecting school schedules, to which many kids may rejoice: districts have already given up a week or more in snow days due to temperatures or icy conditions. However, some state laws require students to make up lost time after so many snow days.

According to The Weather Channel, "the polar vortex is an area of low pressure in the upper atmosphere that, on average in the Northern Hemisphere, typically has centers in two main areas: near Canada's Baffin Island, and over northeast Siberia." It seems that this year the vortex was forced to the south, causing the United States to experience what previously belonged to Canadians and Russians.

The coldness is stretching as far as Texas and Louisiana. Houston is advising residents to "avoid travel at all costs," marking the first time in years that the city has been under a winter storm warning.

To demonstrate how extreme the weather really is, parts of Alaska are now warmer than the continental United States, including some parts of central Florida. The polar vortex storm will finally move north of the United States into Canada next week but still blow cold winds into the Midwest.