Winter weather warnings have been issued in 30 states as a bone-chilling polar vortex is poised to freeze the US with record cold temperatures starting tonight.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued winter weather advisories and winter storm watches from Maine to Nebraska, with wind chills in certain regions of the Midwest and Great Plains to make it feel between -10 to -30 degrees Fahrenheit.
The heaviest snow is expected to arrive Monday night, with parts of Ohio, eastern Pennsylvania, upstate New York, and most of New England seeing up to six inches accumulating by Tuesday.
Large stretches of the Midwest which have already been hit by a Thanksgiving snow storm, including in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, could see temperatures drop into the single digits today and Tuesday.
Meteorologists have also warned that the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, Wisconsin, and Minnesota may experience their coldest days of the year on Monday, falling well below zero degrees in certain areas by tonight.
The frigid forecast is expected to last all week throughout the US as cold air from Canada and Greenland plunges south because of a weakening in the Earth's polar vortex.
The polar vortex is like a giant, spinning whirlpool of cold air high up in the atmosphere above the North Pole, normally held in place by strong winds that act as a barrier, keeping the extreme cold locked away from the US.
However, strong storms and high-pressure systems in the lower atmosphere have sent ripples of warmer air upward that knocked this vortex off balance, allowing the icy Arctic air to dip farther south and blanket the US.
Ice warnings have also been issued for Monday night and Tuesday morning in parts of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina, where meteorologists fear slippery roads and sidewalks could endanger commuters and cause travel delays.
Temperatures are expected to remain around the freezing point throughout the rest of the week, with the polar vortex projected to descend all the way to the South on Wednesday and Thursday, reaching Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee.
AccuWeather has warned that parts of at least 20 states may see temperatures drop up to 20 degrees below historical averages for the beginning of December.
In Midwest states such as Iowa, forecasters have said that Thursday could see the thermometer fall below -10 degrees, which would break records throughout the state that have stood for decades.
On Friday, record-low temperatures in the teens and 20s have also been forecasted for New York, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Baltimore.
The winter blast and ongoing snow storms already caused a 45-car pileup along Interstate 70 about 10 miles from Terre Haute, Indiana on Saturday.
Several of the cars slid across the eastbound side to the median, into the grass, and even toward oncoming traffic on the westbound side of the highway.
The incoming storms are expected to continue impacting ground and air travel, while also forcing schools in certain areas to shutter temporarily.
1 comment:
Climate change. Planet is warming that explains the cold weather. Gates where are you with your sun dimming.
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