A strong Arctic cold wave is currently affecting the central and eastern regions of the United States and is expected to continue spreading to wider areas. In the coming days, a large part of the United States will experience the coldest weather in a year, with temperatures in some areas dropping as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to meteorological forecasts, several states in the United States have already issued extreme cold weather warnings. The bone-chilling new wave of Arctic air is set to arrive in the central and eastern regions of the United States this weekend and persist into the following week, potentially bringing the lowest temperatures of this winter in some cities.
Before the arrival of the extremely cold air, temperatures in most parts of the central United States will briefly rise on Thursday, January 16th, and Friday. However, this brief warm-up will only make people more keenly aware of the impending extreme cold weather that will follow.
The next blast of cold air brought by the strong Arctic high pressure system will push southward on Friday evening and before Saturday, crossing through the Plains region and Upper Midwest, and continuing to spread to other areas of the Midwest, South, and Northeast from Sunday to Tuesday.
During the passage of the cold wave, temperatures in large areas will be 15 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit below average.
Later this weekend into early next week, extreme cold will extend to North Dakota and South Dakota.
According to a report from CNN, since January of last year, the city of Bismarck in North Dakota has not seen a high temperature above zero degrees, but on Sunday and Monday, temperatures are expected to drop below zero. By Monday morning, the lowest temperatures in northern parts of the state could plummet to between minus 25 and 30 degrees.
With the arrival of the cold wind, by Monday morning, temperatures in North Dakota could reach between minus 40 and nearly 50 degrees, posing life-threatening conditions.
On Monday, the cold air will also hit the east coast and southeast regions of the United States. The northern parts of New England may see high temperatures in the single digits or teens; in most areas from the mid-Atlantic to the Southeast, high temperatures may only reach the thirties to forties.
Tuesday might be equally cold, with some areas possibly even colder, especially in the eastern and southern regions.
Early next week, the lowest temperatures in most southern regions will range from the teens to twenties, while parts of the Gulf Coast could see temperatures at or below freezing.