New year could bring record low temperatures to U.S. Midwest, East Coast

A man looks at falling snow at Times Square as a cold weather front hits the region, in Manhattan, New York, U.S., December 30, 2017. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

(Reuters) - Bitterly cold weather will usher in the new year for much of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains this weekend, bringing record low temperatures to the Midwest, making travel difficult and putting a chill on New Year's Eve celebrations.

The mercury in New York City's Times Square was expected to drop to about 10 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 12 Celsius) with a wind chill at nearly 0 F (minus 18C) during the final hours of 2017, the National Weather Service said, testing the willpower of hundreds of thousands of New Year's Eve revellers.