(NewsNation) — Temperatures plunged as a winter storm bore down across a broad swath of the country Thursday.

“It has been brutal,” said Meteorologist Chris Higgins with NewsNation affiliate KTVI discussing current conditions in the metro St. Louis area.

According to Higgins, temperatures in the St. Louis area dropped from the mid-30s in the morning down to about one degree currently.

“The snow has never been the big part of the story here for us,” he said. “It has been the wind snow and bitter temperature combination really that three-pronged attack against us here and it has been brutal.”

Higgins said visibility has been as low as just a few 100 feet but improving as the storm is moving out of the area.

“Unfortunately,” he said. “That bitter arctic air is moving in. We’re expecting to be well below zero which is very unusual for us and windchills as low as 35 below zero here in eastern Missouri, Southern Illinois, by early tomorrow morning. The last thing anybody wants as we head into the busy travel holiday weekend.”

Watch Higgins‘ full report in the video player at the top of the page.