Break from the deep freeze: Central and Eastern U.S. to warm next week
The dramatically cold weather and dangerous conditions gripping the central and eastern states will ease up this upcoming week. How long will the reprieve last, and will it hurt chances for a white Christmas?
AccuWeather’s Joe Lundberg takes a look at what the weather will be like around the United States next week.
A large sector of the nation will continue to experience a cold blast that has been chilling residents to their bones. The surge of Arctic air, accompanied by blustery winds in some areas, has posed a real risk to outdoor workers, children awaiting the school bus in the morning as well as animals.
AccuWeather meteorologists warn that locations from the Plains to the interior Northeast and mid-Atlantic region will record-high temperatures ranging from the single digits to the 20s Fahrenheit through Sunday, which can be between 20-30 degrees F below typical December values.
Comparisons to previous years: How cold is it, really?
So far this month, many of the major metros across the Central and Northeastern states have documented temperatures on average between 7-10 degrees below typical values. Cities that have bore the brunt of the cold in the Midwest, like Duluth, Michigan, and Green Bay, Wisconsin, have observed departures more than -12 degrees from the historical average so far this December.
Compared to last December in its entirety, departures trended the exact opposite and were above normal for the month. Places like Detroit and the Twin Cities of St. Paul-Minneapolis were roughly 2 to 3 degrees above the norm for the whole month in December 2024.
The coldest air will persist through the weekend for most, but can last into Monday for some as temperatures slowly being to moderate amid the changing pattern.
Widespread frostbite risk
"AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures will be dangerously cold across the Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast through the weekend into Monday. Again, in Detroit, RealFeel® Temperatures can be as low as around -5 to -10 early Sunday morning and again Monday morning, which can cause frostbite within minutes to any exposed skin," noted AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski.
As the upcoming week progresses, the cold will not be as intense throughout the Plains, Great Lakes and Northeast. Many spots will observe temperatures returning within a few degrees of the historical average.
"The bitterly cold blast of Arctic air will only last around 48 to 72 hours in many places. In Detroit, following the projected afternoon highs not far from 20 degrees Sunday and Monday, highs will rise to the lower 40s by Wednesday and even middle and upper 40s by Thursday," added Pydynowski.
Will the warmup ruin chances for a white Christmas?
For many across the nation, the pattern this coming week featuring Arctic air receding and warmer conditions moving in will linger into the latter half of December. Widespread highs in the upper 20s to 40s will hang around into the week of Christmas, a welcome change to those who have been facing highs in the single digits for multiple days.
Given the warmer pattern ahead, the chances for accumulating snow will be limited for some, or at least accumulating snow that lingers for an extended period of time.
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"With the warm up later in the week, it could dash the hopes for many of a white Christmas as current snow cover on the ground in parts of the Midwest away from the Great Lakes may melt and not survive to Christmas Day," stated Pydynowski.
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