Brutal Arctic Blast to Bring Coldest Air of Winter to the Eastern U.S.
A relentless winter gripping the Eastern United States is about to intensify, with the coldest Arctic outbreak of the season set to slam the region this weekend.
Meteorologists warn that a surge of bitterly cold air plunging south from eastern Canada will impact more than 100 million people across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, delivering dangerous temperatures and life-threatening wind chills.
“A brutally cold weekend awaits much of the northeastern quarter of the nation as Arctic air surges south,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said in a forecast.
Temperatures Near or Below Zero
According to AccuWeather, temperatures across much of the Northeast are expected to fall into the single digits or below zero, with dozens of daily record lows at risk on Saturday, February 7, and Sunday, February 8, Weather.com reports.
Washington Post meteorologist Ben Noll also warned that this could be the coldest air of the entire winter for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Life-Threatening Wind Chills
The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center says the Arctic outbreak will bring dangerously cold wind chills, especially across interior New England and the interior Northeast, where wind chills could drop into the minus 30s.
Daytime temperatures will struggle to climb out of the teens and single digits, offering little relief even during daylight hours.
Damaging Winds and Snow Squalls Possible
Strong winds are expected to accompany the Arctic air, with gusts potentially exceeding 50 mph in some areas. These winds could lead to isolated power outages and tree damage, particularly across the southern and central Appalachians, the Mid-Atlantic, and interior portions of the Northeast.
Brief but intense bursts of snowfall are also possible as the cold air moves in on Friday and Saturday. Snow squalls and blowing snow could quickly reduce visibility and create dangerous travel conditions.
Safety Officials Urge Caution
The extreme cold and wind chills pose a serious risk of hypothermia and frostbite. NOAA recommends the following precautions:
- Carry a cold-weather survival kit when traveling
- Limit time outdoors and cover exposed skin
- Ensure pets and livestock are protected from the cold
- Take steps to prevent frozen pipes
- Avoid walking on frozen lakes or rivers where ice thickness is uncertain
What’s Causing the Extreme Cold?
Meteorologists say this outbreak is being driven by a lobe of the polar vortex at lower levels of the atmosphere — known as the tropospheric polar vortex — allowing Arctic air to plunge deep into the eastern United States.