16 FEBRUARY 2021 - DES MOINES, IOWA: A homeless man in an alley in downtown Des Moines. Iowa, like much of the United States, is in the grip of a frigid Polar Vortex. Temperatures in Iowa have been 30F below normal for more than a week. Tuesday morning, 15 February, was the coldest morning so far and is expected to be the coldest morning in central Iowa this winter. The temperature in Des Moines was -17F (-27C), with the windchill factored in the "feels like" temperature was -25F (-32C). Schools have been closed for the last two days so students wouldn't have to stand outside waiting for buses. Most outdoor activities, like outdoor construction and road work, are paused until temperatures rebound. The public libraries, closed because of the Coronavirus pandemic, were opened as warming centers, and the city buses were free so people could ride the buses to stay warm. PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ