A wave of brutally cold air is expected to crash into eastern South Dakota – along with much of the central and eastern United States – over the weekend and send wind chills plunging as low as 30 below zero.

The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls warned that "very cold air and dangerous wind chills" are forecast throughout the region the night of Dec. 13 and morning of Dec. 14. The term wind chill describes how cold people and animals feel when they're outside.

"Please ensure that your outdoor pets have warm shelter, check periodically on elderly friends and neighbors, and maybe do a battery check on your vehicle before it gets so cold," the weather service said.

South Dakota won't endure the cold alone, with frigid temperatures and wind chills expected across a huge swath of

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