CHICAGO, Illinois -- Bitter arctic weather enveloped the central and midwestern United States on Saturday and snow again blanketed the capital and other Eastern cities.


There were record lows reported across the country, and television stations cautioned residents against such problems as "eyelash freeze" and warned that the killer cold could freeze jewelry to flesh.


In Lincoln, Nebraska, it was minus 30 degrees Celsius -- the lowest temperature recorded in 110 years.


In International Falls, Minnesota, the thermometer plunged to minus 34 C, but with the windchill factor it was much colder.


In Chicago, where the mayor declared a cold weather emergency on Friday, it was minus 26 C overnight. At least seven people have died in fires in Chicago while trying to keep warm. The city was practically a ghost town with people staying home to stay out of the frigid temperatures.


Washington, D.C., the nation's capital, was blanketed in 15 to 20 centimeters of snow -- much less than last month's 53-centimeter snowfall, which caused the federal government to close down and paralyzed travel.


In New York, officials expected up to 25 centimeters of snow. Average annual snowfall is about 35 centimeters, but the city has already had 113 centimeters so far this year.