Care bags sit ready for people seeking refuge from the intense cold front sweeping over the intermountain West at Denver Coliseum Wednesday in Denver.
CNN  — 

The major winter storm crossing the nation is causing dramatic declines in temperatures across the central US as arctic air pushes south and east.

Some highlights:

Casper, Wyoming

(Mountain time)

In less than 18 hours, from 7:40 a.m. Wednesday to 1:35 a.m. Thursday, the temperature dropped 70 degrees.

7:40 a.m. Wednesday: 28 degrees.

8 a.m. Wednesday: 3 degrees.

Casper dropped 25 degrees in just 20 minutes Wednesday.

1:35 a.m. Thursday: minus 42 degrees

6:00 a.m. Thursday: minus 35 degrees with a wind chill of minus 76 degrees.

LIVE NEWS: Winter storm and severe cold sweeps across the US

Denver

(Mountain time)

Dropped 65 degrees in 16 hours.

12:58 p.m. Wednesday: 50 degrees.

4:58 a.m. Thursday: minus 15 degrees.

The largest plunge came when temperatures dropped 47 degrees in just two hours Wednesday from 46 degrees at 3:58 p.m. to minus 1 degree at 5:58 p.m.

Amarillo, Texas

(Central time)

Dropped 42 degrees in six hours.

11:53 p.m. Wednesday: 41 degrees.

5:53 a.m. Thursday: minus 1 degree.

The current wind chill this morning is minus 7 degrees.

Wichita, Kansas

(Central time)

Dropped 36 degrees in nine hours.

9:53 p.m. Wednesday: 34 degrees.

6:53 a.m. Thursday: minus 2 degrees.

However the temperature dropped 20 degrees from 32 to 12 in just one hour between 11:53 p.m. and 12:53 a.m. Wednesday night.

Temperatures are still falling and are expected to bottom out near minus 4 later Thursday morning.

Lines of cots for people seeking refuge from the intense cold front sweeping over the intermountain West fill the walkways in the Denver Coliseum Wednesday, December 21, 2022.

Kansas City, Missouri

(Central time)

Dropped 30 degrees in 6 hours.

11:54 p.m. (Wednesday): 32 degrees.

5:54 a.m. (Thursday): 2 degrees.

And temperatures are forecast to continue falling this morning, bottoming out near minus 7 by midday.

Oklahoma City

(Central time)

Dropped 34 degrees in 14 hours.

4:52 p.m. (Wednesday): 42 degrees.

6:52 a.m. (Thursday): 8 degrees.

The biggest plunge was 23 degrees in just 2 hours early this morning when temperatures dropped from 37 at 2:52 a.m. to 14 degrees at 4:52 a.m.

Temperatures are expected to bottom out near 4 degrees later Thursday morning.