The end is in sight, but bitter temperatures are expected to hang around through Tuesday morning.

The latest batch of The National Weather Service’s warnings for potentially dangerous cold expired at noon Monday morning, but temperatures weren’t expected to warm up too much before Tuesday.

Temperatures plummeted to minus 17 overnight with wind chills reaching minus 34. Temperatures haven’t been above zero since 4:14 p.m. Saturday, according to The National Weather Service.

After reaching a high of 7 degrees at 3:34 a.m. Saturday, temperatures slowly dropped and have stayed below zero since.

Temperatures were expected to reach only a high of about 1 below on Monday before they’re expected to again drop to about 15 below overnight.

Continued bitter cold temperatures caused several area schools to start two hours late Monday morning. Hayfield-Brownsdale Schools, Blooming Prairie Schools and Our Savior’s Lutheran Church and Preschool in Brownsdale were all two delayed two hours this morning.

Austin Public Schools and Southland Schools were already off on Monday.

Due to El Nino, winter got off to a mild start. But the blast of dangerous cold moved east across the Northern Plains and Great Lakes on Sunday, when temperatures bottomed out at 36 degrees below in Fosston in northwest Minnesota. It was so cold in western Minnesota that traffic lights went dark Sunday morning in Montevideo when a transformer blew. One homeowner’s bid to thaw pipes in West Duluth caused a fire that led to $37,000 in damage, WDIO-TV reported.

Meanwhile, parts of Illinois were in the single digits Monday, the second day with such frigid air.

Many cities sought to ensure no one succumbed to the cold. The Indianapolis Star reported that the state Department of Homeland Security would send anyone needing shelter from the weather Sunday and Monday to a Salvation Army facility. But in Wisconsin, authorities said a 21-year-old woman likely died of exposure in Milwaukee; she had reportedly left a house party and was found outside by a passer-by.

Snow accompanied the drop in temperatures in northern and western Michigan, where up to 16 inches of snow fell over 24 hours in Honor and Traverse City received 10 inches.

The arctic air mass is expected to push through the Mower County area to make way for a high of 10 on Tuesday. There’s also a chance for a half to 2 inches of snow Tuesday night, which could make for slick conditions.

—The Associated Press contributed to this report.