A large section of the United States is facing an arctic blast that is making the mid-autumn season feel more like the depths of winter.

Hundreds of local low temperature records are expected to be broken in towns and cities from the Rocky Mountains, across the Plains and up and down the East Coast.

In Chicago, 15 centimeters of snow fell by Monday afternoon and led to nearly 900 flights being canceled at O'Hare International Airport. The slippery runways caused an American Airlines flight to skid off the runway.

Heavy snow is predicted in Indiana, Michigan and Vermont, with many other states expecting to see at least some snowfall.

Record-breaking lows are likely to be set across the region. Chicago is expected to see a high temperature of -6 degrees Celsius early Tuesday - a full seven degrees lower than the previous record set for Nov. 12.

In Dallas, the temperature fell from 18 degrees Celsius to 8 degrees Celsius in a single hour Monday as the arctic front moved in. Low temperatures in the city are predicted to drop below -1 degrees Celsius early Tuesday.

Nearly the entire country is expected to see colder than normal temperatures. States west of the Rockies will be the exception.

The cold air is welcomed by some, including ski resorts in Vermont, which have announced they will be able to open early for the winter season.

Milder temperatures are expected to return before Thanksgiving, when millions of Americans will travel for the holiday.