Coldest air of the winter lurks for eastern US next week
The coldest air of the winter is likely on the way as Siberian air lunges eastward next week after nosediving onto the Great Plains this weekend. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will dip to dangerous levels.
High temperatures on Monday, Jan. 20, will be more than 30 degrees lower than they were on Friday, plunging a huge swath of the U.S. into RealFeel temperatures of below zero.
A blast of frigid air with origins in Siberia will lunge southward across the Great Plains this weekend, and as that air turns eastward, the lowest temperatures of the season will likely unfold from beyond the Plains to the Midwest and much of the East, AccuWeather meteorologists alert.
"The cold outbreak will occur right smack in the middle of what is historically the coldest part of the winter," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Larson said.
Larson added that, given that a widespread deep snow cover will not be present over much of the Central and Eastern states, few record-low temperatures may be set.
Conditions will still feel harsh for many days compared to recent memory for the month, as the last significantly cold January for much of the region was back in 2022 for some and 2018 and 2014 for others.
For example, in New York City, Jan. 2024 and 2023 brought a historical average of 3.3 and 9.8 degrees Fahrenheit above historical levels, respectively. Jan. 2022 brought an average of 3.4 degrees below historical levels. So far this January, temperatures are averaging 2.4 degrees below historical levels.
In the depths of the cold air next week, highs will be 10s for at least a couple of days, with nighttime lows in the single digits to near 10 for New York City. A high in the upper 30s and a low in the upper 20s is average for the middle of January.
The United States presidential inauguration on Monday in Washington, D.C., could be one of the coldest on record or at least the coldest since Ronald Reagan was sworn in for a second term in 1985.
In Atlanta, temperatures thus far this January are averaging close to 5 degrees below the historical mark. The last time temperatures were consistently in this territory was in 2014, with a January average of nearly 8 degrees below this historical mark. Highs will be in the 30s for the first half of next week but may recover later in the week, depending on the track of a storm. Nighttime lows will be mainly in the mid-10s to the mid-20s. A typical high is in the mid-50s, with a low in the mid-30s in mid-January.
Because stiff breezes will accompany the cold air, icy drafts can penetrate crawl spaces and enclosed non-heated locations, significantly raising the risk of pipes freezing and bursting over much of the interior South-Central and Southeast states from later this weekend to the first part of next week.
Temperatures in New England have been running fairly close to historical levels thus far. Still, once the frigid air expands eastward next week, some areas may dip past 2 degrees below the average mark, which would be considered abnormally cold. A typical high and low in Boston in mid-January is in the upper 30s and the lower 20s, respectively.
Farther west, in Houston, there will one to two days when temperatures fail to reach 40 degrees with multiple nights where temperatures drop well down into the 20s. The projected temperatures are 20-25 degrees below the historical average.
Farther north, in Chicago, at least two days are likely to bring temperatures no higher than the single digits early next week. Multiple nights with temperatures below zero are forecasted for next week. Chicago's historical average high and low are near 30 and near 20, respectively.
Minneapolis will struggle to reach zero on more than one day next week with nighttime lows in the 10-15 degrees below zero range. A typical high is in the lower 20s with a typical low near 10 in mid-January.
Much of the Florida Peninsula is likely to avoid the worst of the chill. Still, freezing temperatures are projected during the outbreak in central and South Florida.
The dense frigid air will race across the Central states but spill over the Appalachians in stages from this weekend to the middle of next week rather than in one massive sweep. This activity will create enough of a breeze to be painful and dangerous when people are outside for extended periods of time and not properly dressed.
AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will dip to 10-20 degrees lower than the actual temperature at times. The conditions will increase the risk of frostbite and hypothermia for some individuals.
The core of the cold air and dangerously low RealFeel Temperatures will expand eastward next week.
As the frigid air passes over open waters, ice will increase on rivers, ponds and lakes. However, the ice buildup may be gradual so ice could be dangerously thin for a time.
"The frigid air may set the stage for significant ice jams in the weeks ahead with some rebound in temperatures and thaws likely for February," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham warned, "The level and extensiveness of the frigid air may be tough to match the rest of the winter."
Rounds of significant to heavy lake-effect snow will continue around the Great Lakes in the next couple of weeks.
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