Overview
- A reinforcing Arctic outbreak is forecast to sweep into the Eastern U.S. this weekend into early week, bringing the season’s coldest readings for many from the Midwest to the Northeast.
- The FOX Forecast Center expects nearly 100 million Americans to experience sub-zero wind chills on Tuesday, with values near -20°F in the Twin Cities and down to -40°F in parts of northern Minnesota and Wisconsin.
- Cities including Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis and Des Moines are projected to see highs in the single digits early in the week, with sub-freezing daytime temperatures reaching as far south as Tennessee.
- An initial surge already pushed into the Central and Southern U.S., with Florida near 30°F on Friday and freeze warnings issued, underscoring the reach of the cold pattern.
- ECMWF and GFS guidance indicates a possible split of the polar vortex core around January 25, and the Climate Prediction Center highlights elevated odds of a prolonged cold phase into early February with additional Arctic intrusions into North America and Europe.