A blast of extreme cold is expected to descend on the central United States this weekend, bringing frigid conditions to the Midwest and South before shifting east to New York and the rest of the East Coast.
The cold air will sweep across the United States, with the low in Dallas expected to reach -6°C on Monday night and temperatures in Manhattan predicted to drop to near -12°C late Tuesday. The extreme cold will also raise energy demand, threatening to break temperature records.
The Midwest and South will feel the effects first, with Texas expected to drop below freezing on Saturday, and most of the state will experience below-freezing temperatures through Wednesday. This will put pressure on power grids and utilities to meet the surge in energy consumption, as the South relies heavily on electricity for heating.
According to the U.S. Weather Prediction Center, around 31 locations could see daily high temperatures cold enough to break or tie records on Monday, mainly in the South. A handful of records could also fall in Texas on Tuesday.
In addition, Houston’s daily average temperature will sink to almost 24°F below normal on Tuesday, and in Dallas, readings will fall to 21°F below the 30-year average on Monday. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has an advisory in place for Jan. 19 through noon on Jan. 23 due to the expected extreme cold.
Despite the challenges it will pose, energy officials believe they will be able to meet the surge in demand. However, the extreme cold will still cause disruptions in the production of oil and natural gas, and will make transportation challenging. The cold will begin to ease by the middle of next week, but Monday’s presidential inauguration promises to be a chilly one, with temperatures in Washington expected to drop to -4°C.