Dozens of US states will see the lowest temperatures they have seen in years as a polar vortex brings “deadly” cold next week.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said much of the Lower 48 should prepare for “the coldest air mass of the season thus far” Friday through January 24.
Meteorologists predict temperatures could plunge as much as 45 degrees below average, engulfing at least 20 states across the Plains, Great Lakes and interior Northeast in subzero temperatures.
States in the path of the polar vortex include Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa , the Dakotas, Montana and Wyoming.
Parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Utah and Idaho may also experience temperatures below zero.
Washington DC is only expected to see highs in the 20s, moving President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration indoors. This is the first time this has happened in 40 years.
Wind gusts of up to 30 miles per hour will blow through the layers of the hundreds of thousands of MAGA enthusiasts expected to fill the National Mall on Monday.
“This poses a high risk of hypothermia and frostbite to exposed skin.” Have a cold weather survival kit if you travel,” the NWS warned.
Dozens of US states will experience their lowest temperatures in years next week as a polar vortex brings “deadly” cold. Polar vortex brings frigid air from Siberia to the United States
The Rockies, Northern Plains and Upper Midwest are expected to experience a minimum wind chill of -30 F or colder Saturday through Tuesday.
Temperatures will also likely freeze and burst pipes and strain power grids as people rush to heat their homes.
Snow and slippery roads are also expected to hit the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Sunday, with a wintry mix potentially in the Deep South early next week.
All Lower 48 states, and more than 80 percent of their residents, will experience subzero temperatures.
“This would definitely be one of the coldest outbreaks in the last 10 or 15 years,” said Judah Cohen, a winter weather expert with Atmospheric Environmental Research. “It takes the air out of Siberia.
“And, you know, that’s consistent with these extents, because when the polar vortex expands, the flow starts in Siberia and ends in the United States.”
The Rockies, Northern Plains and Upper Midwest are expected to experience a minimum wind chill of -30 F or colder Saturday through Tuesday, according to the NWS.
Even states along the Gulf Coast and southern border will see temperatures drop 10 to 30 F below average. Only South Florida will be spared from the bitter cold.
“So if you’re a snowbird, you like to escape to the South – there’s no escaping it. Everyone will feel it,” said FOX meteorologist Britta Merwin.
At least 300 million Americans are in the path of the polar vortex. Pictured: A frozen part of New Jersey
People who plan to spend extended periods outdoors this weekend should watch for signs of hypothermia and frostbite. Pictured is a storm that hit Washington DC earlier this month. But the nation’s capital will experience freezing temperatures this week
In total, more than 300 million Americans will experience below-average temperatures by Monday, FOX reported.
But with wind chills, some areas of the country could see temperatures as low as -50 F by Monday morning.
Cities that are not used to such low temperatures should prepare for the deadly impact of this cold, Merwin said.
For example, temperatures in Asheville, North Carolina, could drop to between 15 and 20°C Monday through Thursday next week.
Monday morning, Atlanta, Georgia could also see temperatures in the teens.
Residents in parts of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee will be particularly vulnerable as many remain without adequate housing following the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
People who spend extended periods outdoors this weekend should watch for signs of hypothermia, including shivering, slurred speech, slow, shallow breathing, weak pulse, clumsiness, confusion and a loss of consciousness.
In infants, watch out for bright red, cold, very low energy skin.
No one should venture outside with exposed skin, as this intense cold could lead to frostbite in as little as 15 minutes.
No one should venture outside with exposed skin, as this intense cold could lead to frostbite in as little as 15 minutes. Pictured is Bryant Park in New York during another Arctic blast earlier this month. New York officials are already preparing for this weekend’s freezing temperatures
This burst of freezing temperatures will be caused by the polar vortex, a large area of low pressure and cold air that swirls counterclockwise around the North Pole.
Even northern cities are bracing for cold weather.
In New York, emergency officials declared a “Code Blue” on Thursday.
This type of warning is issued when the temperature or wind chill is expected to drop to 32 F overnight.
“Outreach teams will travel across all five boroughs to connect our most vulnerable New Yorkers to shelters,” NYC Emergency Management said in an article on X.
This burst of freezing temperatures will be caused by the polar vortex, a large area of low pressure and cold air that swirls counterclockwise around the North Pole.
Typically its vortices keep it close to the North Pole, but often in winter the polar vortex extends further south and causes surges of cold temperatures.
This particular outbreak will be one of the largest this season so far, NWS meteorologist Zack Taylor told NPR.
It doesn’t look like temperatures will warm up anytime soon, as meteorologists expect overall weather conditions to remain favorable for more arctic outbreaks through the end of January.
