The polar vortex is on the move and will take up a position near Hudson Bay, Canada, directing rounds of Arctic air southward from the North Pole to parts of the central and eastern United States through the middle of the month. The waves of Arctic air will trigger rounds of flurries and squalls in some areas and may help fuel storms with more widespread snow.
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The Arctic air is expected to deliver subzero temperatures from the Dakotas and Minnesota to Iowa and Nebraska, and by far the lowest temperatures of the season so far for much of the balance of the Central states and Northeast.
“This Arctic air outbreak can be attributed to a displacement of the polar vortex,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.
Polar Vortex Animation
“The outbreak this week will be the first of probably three such rounds with it. Another cold blast is likely next week and a third the week after that,” Pastelok explained. “The waves of Arctic air will lead to significant surges in energy demands.”
Early morning temperatures Thursday have dipped into the single digits, 10s and 20s from the central and southern parts of the Plains to the Ohio Valley and inland areas of the Northeast. Temperatures are forecast to dip into the 10s and 20s in the Interstate 95 northeast corridor later this week as the cold air shifts east.
The setup from the middle of this week to the weekend may require full midwinter clothing and outerwear. In areas where ski resorts have not received significant natural snow, snowmaking operations are expected to be in full swing to gear up for the ski season.
Where it is windy, AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures are expected to be 10-25 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the actual temperature. Some daily record lows could be challenged.
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A breeze and patchy cloud cover may keep temperatures above the season’s lowest to date for parts of the Southeast, especially the Florida Peninsula, until next week. Still, rounds of cold weather will bring the risk of hard freezes to the interior of the Southeastern states.
Those who have not completed winterizing their homes and water lines or had their furnaces checked and heating oil or propane ordered may want to do so as soon as possible.
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As the leading edge of the Arctic air advances, patches of flurries, snow and heavier snow squalls could accompany the front as it sweeps across the Great Lakes region and into the northern part of the Appalachians.
The first Arctic front will sweep from the Great Lakes to the Northeast from late Wednesday to Thursday. There is a chance that snow showers will extend all the way to the Interstate 95 corridor of the Northeast.
The snow may be brief and sporadic, but it can bring a quick coating, leading to slippery conditions. As much as a few inches of snow may fall where lake-effect bands set up in the wake of the front into Thursday evening. While the upcoming lake-effect event will be brief, others that follow into mid-December may be long-lasting and substantial.
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The western edge of the Arctic air will be partially responsible for a southward-moving snowstorm over the Rockies from Wyoming and Colorado to northern New Mexico into Thursday.
Exactly how the cold push interacts with a storm over the southern U.S. will determine the extent of accumulating snow and a slippery mixture of snow, ice and rain versus just rain from Thursday night to Friday evening in the eastern part of the nation.
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Travelers on highways and by air should be prepared for potential delays. Some school delays, early dismissals or cancellations are also possible.
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