Polar Vortex Brings Unseasonably Cold Temps to the US, Likely Making January the Coldest in a Decade.



A Polar Vortex Headed for the US Could Bring Extreme Cold and Wind Chills This Week

A significant polar vortex is expected to bring extremely cold temperatures and strong winds to a large portion of the United States this week, making January the coldest month in over a decade. The National Weather Service (NWS) has forecasted that the arctic blast will affect a large swathe of the country, arriving in the northern Rockies and expected to have spread to the East Coast by New Year’s Day.

The plunge is expected to bring wind chills across the Midwest, with temperatures dipping below zero in at least 30 states. The NWS warned that the coldest air of the season to date and dangerous wind chills are likely across many areas of the Southeast. Some areas are forecasted to reach an average temperature of around 20 degrees, while freezing conditions are expected in the Gulf Coast and even Florida.

Snowfall is also possible across parts of the Southern Plains and the Southeast, with heavy snowfall expected in the Appalachians, Ohio Valley, the Great Lakes, and the Northeast. A further drop in temperatures is expected next week, and below normal temperatures are predicted to affect central and eastern US during much of January.

This arctic blast comes after an unusually warm end to the month of December across the country. Some states will be experiencing their coldest winter in years, with Washington DC’s temperature not having dropped below zero since January 31, 2019, and Philadelphia’s temperature not meeting that threshold since January 19, 1994.

The plunge is expected to increase demands for heat and electricity and put a strain on the US electrical grid. In 2014, a polar vortex brought frigid temperatures and strong winds to the country, affecting nearly 187 million Americans and causing at least 20 deaths. This week’s forecasted temperatures could be even more extreme, with wind chills dipping below -36 degrees at Crane Lake, Minnesota.

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