Polar vortex to bring triple whammy of Arctic cold to US through mid-December
A shifting polar vortex will send multiple rounds of Arctic air into the central and eastern United States through the first half of December. The cold waves will be accompanied by opportunities for accumulating snow.
From snow in central Virginia on Dec. 5 to more chances for wintry weather in the Northeast in the coming days and an atmospheric river approaching the Northwest, busy weather patterns are ahead.
The polar vortex is taking up a position near Hudson Bay, Canada, and will direct rounds of Arctic air southward from the North Pole to parts of the central and eastern United States through the middle of the month. The waves of Arctic air will trigger rounds of flurries and squalls in some areas and may help fuel storms with patches of accumulating snow.
The Arctic air is expected to deliver subzero temperatures from the Dakotas and Minnesota to Iowa and Nebraska and by far the lowest temperatures of the season to date for much of the rest of the Central states and Northeast.
"These Arctic air outbreaks can be attributed to a displacement of the polar vortex," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.
"The outbreak this week will be the first of probably three such rounds with it. Another cold blast is likely next week and a third the week after that," Pastelok explained. "The waves of Arctic air will lead to significant surges in energy demands."
The setup into the weekend may require full midwinter clothing and outerwear. In areas where ski resorts have not received significant natural snow, snowmaking operations are expected to be in full swing to gear up for the ski season.
A breeze and patchy cloud cover may keep temperatures above the season's lowest to date for parts of the Southeast, especially the Florida Peninsula, until next week. Still, rounds of cold weather will bring the risk of hard freezes to the interior of the Southeastern states.
Those who have not completed winterizing their homes and water lines or had their furnaces checked and heating oil or propane ordered may want to do so as soon as possible.
The first Arctic front swept off the Northeast coast Thursday night. Flurries, snow showers and heavier snow squalls accompanied the front across New York state and New England.
A frigid Friday morning is underway from the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes to the Northeast. A gusty wind will add to the harshness in the Northeast early Friday morning. Some of the traditional cold spots over the interior Northeast have dropped well below zero and temperatures dipped to near 20 below zero in the Adirondacks of northeastern New York.
Temperatures have dropped down into the teens in Boston Friday morning, with widespread lows in the 20s from New York City to Washington, D.C.
Exactly how the cold push interacts with a storm over the southern U.S. will determine the extent of accumulating snow and a slippery mixture of snow, ice and rain versus just rain through Friday in the eastern part of the nation.
During this weekend, the advance of a new batch of Arctic air will contribute to a new swath of snow from the northern half of the Plains to the Midwest. Snow will accumulate in areas that were blanketed by moderate to heavy snow just a week earlier.
Travelers on highways and by air should be prepared for potential delays. Some school delays, early dismissals or cancellations are also possible.
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