Waves of cold to invade US in days leading up to Christmas

The cold reprieve unfolding across the United States will not last long with waves of chilly air set to invade many parts of the country in the days leading up to Christmas.

Aside from northern New England, frigid air will be lacking across a large part of the contiguous U.S. into midweek.

However, a press of cold air over the northern Plains will indicate that the reprieve will not last long in some areas of the Central and Eastern states.

Colder air will press across the Upper Midwest on Tuesday, then upstate New York and New England by Wednesday. Temperatures are projected to dip back to seasonable levels and may actually sneak below average over the northern tier.

The cold air will not be as harsh as the arctic blast that gripped these regions this past week. However, a brisk wind will create lower AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures.

"In areas from the Ohio Valley to the mid-Atlantic states, temperatures during much of this week are likely to be no lower than average," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

As this cold drops into the Northeast, a stronger cold blast will begin to invade the other side of the country—right on cue with Thursday's official start to winter.

This colder air may evolve to be more far-reaching, invading the Northwest at midweek before slashing temperatures across the Rockies and central U.S. as the Christmas holiday weekend approaches. From the mountains of the Northwest to the Rockies and Midwest, the leading edge of this cold blast is expected to be accompanied by snow.

“The cold is expected to plunge deep into Texas later this week,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.

Highs when the cold settles in are expected to be 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit lower than during the milder days earlier in the week. Across the Plains, that difference may be as great as 30-40 degrees.

Biting winds driving the cold air southward are expected to create bitterly lower RealFeel® Temperatures.

While temperatures may not drop as much across California as places to the east, gusty winds may get kicked up once again and significantly heighten the fire danger across both Northern and Southern California later in the week.

Between the snow and howling winds, travel disruptions may create headaches for those hoping to get to their holiday destinations early. Slower travel on roads and in the air may also delay the arrival of last-minute gifts.

“More disruptions to travelers can be expected over the Christmas holiday weekend as the cold may connect with a storm to produce snow or a wintry mix from the southern Plains to a part of the Midwest,” Anderson said.

“This cold blast may take until after Christmas to reach all of the Northeast,” Anderson said. “However, a wintry mix or rain can still plague travelers trying to get home for Christmas.”

The blast of cold air will increase the odds of a white Christmas for some areas.

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