More Arctic Air Making its Way Down into the U.S. This Week

A surge of cold air is once again going to create dangerous conditions for a large part of the central and eastern U.S. in the days ahead. Here is what you need to know about how cold it will get and who will see the worst impacts.

Another Blast of Arctic Air Creeping Into the U.S. from Canada

Millions of Americans are going to be under the gun for more frigid temperatures this week as a wave of Arctic air advances to the south and the east. The mass of cold air has been relegated to the part of the U.S. just under the Canadian border in recent days, however, forecasters are warning that the chilly temperatures will push farther to the south this week. Some areas could see the lowest readings of the winter thus far with this latest influx of Arctic air.

The first push of cold air has already arrived across central and western portions of Canada. The storm that impacted the central U.S. over the weekend will pull in more chilly air as it moves into the Northeast. This movement will also bring down the cold temperatures across the Great Plains, the Mississippi Valley, and the Appalachians before heading over to the mid-Atlantic coastline. A number of major U.S. cities will see the impacts of the Arctic air including Minneapolis, Chicago, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, and Dallas.

Omaha will be another city that could experience the coldest temperatures of the winter season. The lowest daytime high reading so far this winter in Omaha happened on January 20 when the mercury topped out at 10 degrees. The latest forecast models indicate that temperatures may not break the 0-degree mark on Tuesday, easily making the cut for the chilliest daytime high of the year.

Temperatures are forecast to hover well below 0 degrees through the middle of the week for a large part of the northern Plains and over into the Upper Midwest. For instance, Minneapolis will max out with a high of just 3 degrees on Tuesday despite mostly sunny skies. Overnight readings are forecast to slide to 12 degrees below 0 in the Twin Cities on Tuesday night and into Wednesday. Winds out of the northwest at 10 to 15 mph will make it feel a bit chillier.

The southern tier of the U.S. will not escape this infusion of Arctic air either. Dallas is bracing for a string of chilly days this week. The metroplex is forecast to see highs in the upper 40s on Tuesday that plummet to about 28 degrees for a top reading on Wednesday. Winds clocking in at 15 to 25 mph from the north will amplify the unseasonably cold temperatures on Wednesday.

Cold Temperatures Will be Amplified by High Winds to the East

The eastern third of the nation will see high winds that amplify the cold temperatures. Gusts could eclipse 50 mph across parts of the central Appalachians, the mid-Atlantic, and over to New England. Winds of this magnitude are certainly strong enough to break tree limbs and bring power lines, leading to the potential of widespread outages.

Real feel readings could land up to 40 degrees lower than the air temperature when the winds start whipping around. A lack of sunshine as another storm system fires up will also limit how warm it will get this week across the Plains states and to the east.

The latest round of cold temperatures will support the intensification of the latest winter weather maker to dump snow across parts of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri on Tuesday. For example, even normally temperate Oklahoma City is forecast to see a wintry mix on Tuesday morning that transitions to straight snow showers by the afternoon. After seeing a morning high of 26 degrees on Tuesday, the capital city will see the mercury drop steadily before landing at about 2 degrees for an overnight low. Winds will also be intense in this city in the southern Plains, hitting speeds of 20 to 30 mph.

This same storm will then track to the east and impact the mid-Atlantic and the southeastern corner of New England on Wednesday and Thursday. Check back soon for an update on what this part of the U.S. should expect from this midweek winter storm, expected to usher in one of the most significant snow events of the season.

Meteorologists are predicting that another surge of Arctic air will dive as far south as Texas by the middle of the week, delivering a good chance of new record low readings. This zone of cold will eventually encompass all of the U.S. east of the Mississippi River by the end of the week and heading into the weekend.

The mercury will plummet the most in areas that see snow this week. Fresh snow cover tends to limit the natural daytime warming abilities of the sun due to the reflective nature of the snow.

This means that a storm that produces more widespread snow will also result in colder temperatures for the balance of the week in an area from the interior Southeast and up into the northeastern U.S.

Cold temperatures of this level will raise the threat of frostbite and hypothermia. This threat will be elevated in areas that are also dealing with high winds. It is important to dress accordingly and to cover all exposed skin when heading outside for an extended period of time.

How Long Will the Cold Linger?

There is good news for those who are tired of the relentless cycles of Arctic air over the last several weeks. The forecast is calling for temperatures to return to more seasonable levels by the end of the month and into early March. The mercury may even climb to readings a bit warmer than what is typical by the time that early March rolls around.

Keep in mind that the temperatures naturally begin to trend noticeably upwards as the calendar flips from February to March. The sun also becomes incrementally stronger this time of the year, helping to nudge up the real feel readings.

The exception to this warming will be in the northern reaches of the country, particularly in the Northeast and New England. This is good news for winter sports enthusiasts hoping to hang on to the skiing season for longer in the eastern U.S.

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