Siberia Air Mass on Crash Course with the U.S. in Days Ahead

A mass of bitterly cold air is on its way from Siberia, set to push into parts of the U.S. beginning this week. After plunging into the Great Plains, the frigid temperatures will then move into the eastern parts of the country.

Frigid Air From Siberia Headed to the U.S.

Forecasters are warning that dangerously cold weather is going to unfold across the Plains, the Midwest, and a good portion of the East Coast through the early part of next week. For many communities, it will be the coldest temperatures of the season.

The outbreak of cold air will happen right on time, setting up during what is typically the coldest time of the year. However, the lack of snow cover across most of the central and eastern U.S. will mitigate the chances that record low temperatures are set during this time period.

Despite the absence of new record lows, it will still feel exceptionally cold on the heels of last year's relatively mild winter. Some areas have to go back to 2022 to remember temperatures of this magnitude.

For instance, January 2024 saw temperatures hover an average of 3.3 degrees above normal in New York City. January of 2023 was even warmer in the Big Apple with temperatures deviating 9.8 degrees from the historical norm. Conversely, January 2022 saw the mercury dip to an average of 3.4 degrees below the historical norm. Temperatures have been hovering 1.8 degrees below the average for January thus far this year. This next blast of Siberian air will bring these averages down even lower.