How cold is it? It's so cold that sharks are dying

(CNN) You can dream of ringing in the New Year, blissfully walking in a winter wonderland. But you'll probably end up just trying to find shelter from the big Arctic freeze.

Across the US, New Year's Eve is expected to be 20 to 40 degrees colder than usual this year (except for the Southwest, because they're lucky like that). So if you plan on counting down to 2018 outdoors on Sunday night, be prepared to wrap yourself up, because it's going to be some kind of cold out there.

It's water-freezes-in-mid-air cold

Taking "FREEZE!" literally, a cup of water doesn't even have time to hit the ground in Winnipeg, Canada, before turning into a frozen flurry. Now for the important question: where is that guy's coat?

It's close-the-ice-hockey-rinks cold

Cold and hockey are as Canadian as maple syrup, so something has gone haywire if Canadians are running off the rink and into the great indoors. The Bell Capital Cup tweeted that games for its international youth hockey tournament would be moved from the outdoor Canada 150 rink, located on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, to an indoor complex "due to extreme cold weather."

It's sharks-are-dying cold

It's so cold in Massachusetts that sharks are washing up on the shoreline of Cape Cod Bay. The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy said two thresher sharks were found Wednesday, "likely stranded due to cold shock."

It's break-some-records cold

International Falls, Minnesota, more than lived up to its nickname -- the Icebox of the Nation -- this week when it recorded a record low of -36 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday morning. Watertown, New York, fell to minus-32 on Thursday. Its old daily record for the day? Minus 23.

It's ski-behind-a-horse-and-buggy cold

A woman driving through Morley, Michigan, on Christmas Day saw a guy skiing while being pulled by a horse and buggy, because, well, why not?

It's cancel-the-polar-bear-plunges cold

We never did quite understand why anyone would risk frostbite and hypothermia and plunge into bodies of water. But now that several places (such as in New Jersey and Pennsylvania) have canceled events, we'll kinda miss it.

It's crack-your-window cold.

Those aren't icicles. One Twitter user shared a picture of her window, which she says cracked under the blistering cold.

It's bail-on-that-out-of-town-friend cold

The wind chills in New York City will be around 0 when the ball drops in Times Square. Since the tradition began in 1907, there have only been two years colder than this year -- 1917 and 1962. So cut your losses, bundle up and drink responsibly at home.