Most of the country will likely be hit by an arctic blast this weekend into early next week as the polar vortex ushers in cold air from Siberia and multiple storms roll in and bring the potential for snowfall and icy conditions from the Plains to the East Coast.
Workers clear steps at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.
The cold air coming in from Siberia, one of the coldest places on Earth, this weekend into early next week could bring the lowest temperatures of the winter to the Plains, Midwest and much of the East.
Cities like Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Denver and Detroit are expected to see temperatures fall below zero for lows during the cold snap, while the mercury is forecast to reach the single digits in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Boston.
Areas that get lake-effect snow—or snow that develops when cold air moves over warmer bodies of water, creating significant amounts of snowfall and dangerous conditions—later this week may see the snow stick around longer and struggle to melt as a result of the arctic air coming through over the weekend.
The Rockies are also forecast to get snow this weekend ahead of the frigid temperatures, with Denver potentially receiving four to eight inches of snow and snow falling as far south as the border between western Texas and Mexico, according to AccuWeather.
Winter weather could reach all the way down to the Gulf Coast, with snow forecast for cities like Houston and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, early next week, though accumulation forecasts remain unclear.
Parts of Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas may be as low as -20 or -30 degrees on Monday and Tuesday morning, The Washington Post reported, and Minneapolis may struggle to make it above 0 degrees on more than one day next week.
Wintry weather and cold temperatures are likely to bring some snow and icy conditions to the East, as well—and though storms will likely be broken up with dry and warmer periods in between, the National Weather Service forecast for New York City shows chances of rain and snow over the weekend and the high temperature only reaching 26 degrees Monday.
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The polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air that always exists in the Earth’s polar areas. The polar vortex typically stays above the Earth’s surface, in the atmosphere, which keeps cold air contained in the Arctic, but it occasionally weakens and expands, and cold air gets pushed south, which can bring massive cold outbreaks in the U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
105 million. That’s about how many people, across 40 states, may experience temperatures below zero during the back half of January, The Washington Post reported.
Before the extreme cold temperatures and arctic air come in next week, the Plains and Midwest will see highs 10 to 20 degrees warmer than average on Thursday and Friday, with temperatures in the 40s and 50s, according to the NWS Weather Prediction Center.
Though Minneapolis may see low temperatures in the negative double digits, it isn’t likely to break the all-time record low of -41 that was set in 1888, The Washington Post reported.
The inauguration for President-elect Donald Trump will take place Monday in Washington, D.C., where the forecast shows a high of 24 degrees for Capitol Hill and a low of 8 degrees. The National Weather Service reported the normal high temperature for the day is 45 degrees and the normal low is 30 degrees. Monday likely won’t break the record for the coldest inauguration though, which happened in 1985 when the temperature hit -2 degrees the day of Ronald Reagan’s second swearing in. The ceremony was moved indoors due to the harsh conditions, and the inaugural parade was canceled.
Ohio State will play Notre Dame on Monday in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 7:30 p.m. EST in the College Football Playoffs national championship. Though the game will be played indoors, fans getting to the stadium will have to brave a high temperature for Monday of 32 degrees and a low for that night of 19, according to the National Weather Service. The NWS in the area warned wind chills in the single digits or teens may develop Monday or Tuesday in north and central Georgia, and it said probabilities of winter weather are between 20% and 40%.
Trump Inauguration: Here’s What To Know About Guest List, Schedule, Performers And More (Forbes)
The polar vortex will soon hit the U.S. See how cold it’ll get where you live (The Washington Post)