NEW YORK (AP) — An arctic blast is bringing extreme cold, heavy snow and intense wind across much of the U.S. this week — just in time for the vacations.
The weather system, which can construct right into a “bomb cyclone,” is anticipated to maneuver east within the week leading as much as Christmas, disrupting travel and causing hazardous winter conditions. Where is that this winter weather coming from, and what’s in store for the approaching days?
A front of cold air is moving down from the Arctic, sending temperatures plunging.
Much of the U.S. will see below-average temperatures through the center and end of the week, said Bob Oravec, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.
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Temperatures may drop by greater than 20 degrees Fahrenheit (11 degrees Celsius) in only just a few hours, the National Weather Service predicts.
And with winds also expected to select up, wind chill temperatures could drop to dangerous lows far below zero — enough to cause frostbite inside minutes. In parts of the Plains, the wind chill could dip as little as minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 57 Celsius).
On top of the frigid cold, the weather system is anticipated to send a snowstorm through the Midwest near the top of the week.
Those within the Plains, the Upper Midwest and the Great Lakes should expect blizzard conditions as heavy winds whip up the snow, in response to the National Weather Service.
Just about everyone east of the Rockies — around two-thirds of the country — will see extreme weather in the approaching days, said Ryan Maue, a personal meteorologist within the Atlanta area.
Though much of the West Coast shall be shielded from the cold, the Arctic front is anticipated to pass east and south during Florida.
As for the snow, those within the Midwest will probably see a “heck of a storm,” though blizzard conditions aren’t expected to hit the East Coast, Maue said. Some spots across the Great Lakes might even see upwards of a foot of snow by Friday, the National Weather Service predicted.
Heavy snowfall and intense winds may very well be bad news for travel, Oravec said. Airports within the Midwest, including the travel hub of Chicago, will likely face shutdowns because the blizzard comes through later within the week.
And for those planning to hit the road for the vacations, “you’re going to have pretty serious whiteout conditions,” Maue cautioned.
This weather system is anticipated to bring some major “weather whiplash,” said Judah Cohen, a winter storm expert for Atmospheric Environmental Research.
The cold isn’t going to stay around for long. After the dramatic plunge that can keep temperatures low for about per week, “every thing will snap back to normal,” Cohen said.
Shortly after Christmas, temperatures will begin to warm up again, moving from west to east. The are more likely to remain near normal through the top of the 12 months in many of the U.S.
It began farther north, as frigid air collected over the snow-covered ground within the Arctic, Maue said.
Then the jet stream — wobbling air currents in the center and upper parts of the atmosphere — began pushing this cold pool down into the U.S.
As this arctic air is pushed into the hotter, moister air ahead of it, the system can quickly become serious weather — including what’s often known as a “bomb cyclone,” a fast-developing storm wherein atmospheric pressure falls in a short time over 24 hours.
These severe weather events normally form over bodies of water, which have plenty of warmth and moisture to feed the storm, Maue said. But with the massive amount of cold air coming through, we could see a rare bomb cyclone forming over land.
Whether this storm technically qualifies as a bomb cyclone is determined by how quickly the pressure drops — but either way, the snowfall plus high winds will make for an intense bout of winter weather.
The storm is certainly a powerful one, but “not unheard of for the winter seasons,” Oravec said.
It’s pretty normal to have cold air construct up within the winter. This week, though, shifts within the jet stream are pushing the air more to the southeast than usual, Oravec said — sweeping the freeze across the country and making storm conditions more intense.
The U.S. probably won’t reach record-breaking lows, like those seen within the cold snap of 1983 or the polar vortex of 2014, Maue said.
Still, “for most individuals alive, this shall be a memorable, top-10 extreme cold event,” Maue said.
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