The Eastern Seaboard is facing a prolonged period of dangerously low temperatures, while the South prepares for a mix of wintry precipitation. A disruption in the polar vortex is responsible for the frigid air sweeping across the nation.
Sunday's snowfall marked the beginning of a tumultuous week of weather across the nation. A vast swathe of the Eastern Seaboard is bracing for a prolonged period of frigid temperatures, some of the most severe experienced this winter. The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings for parts of the Mid-Atlantic, extending through Monday morning, and these warnings have since expanded to New England as of Sunday afternoon.
Heavy lake-effect snow is anticipated to batter western New York state from Monday through Wednesday morning, with potential accumulations ranging from 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 centimeters) in certain regions, including Oswego along Lake Ontario. Meteorologist Marc Chenard, affiliated with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland, predicts that as many as 70 million residents will find themselves under some form of winter storm warning in the coming days.The cold snap extends far beyond the East Coast. A broad expanse encompassing the Rockies and the Northern Plains will experience temperatures significantly below normal for several days. On Monday, temperatures are forecast to plummet to between -30 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 degrees Celsius) and -55 degrees Fahrenheit (-48 degrees Celsius) in this region. Sub-zero wind chills are projected to reach as far south as Oklahoma and the Tennessee Valley. In Minnesota, residents are urged to dress warmly and carry a survival kit when traveling. Kristi Rollwagen, director of homeland security and emergency management at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, also recommends motorists maintain a full tank of gas and a fully charged cellphone to facilitate communication with loved ones. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C. is expected to see temperatures drop into the 20s Fahrenheit (-7 C to -1 C) with wind gusts exceeding 30 mph (48 kph). This severe weather prompted the relocation of President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural ceremony indoors to the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. Similar to the frigid spell earlier this month, this latest cold wave originates from a disruption in the polar vortex, the ring of cold air typically confined around the North Pole. As the cold air moves southward and eastward, it will gradually moderate, but the Central and Eastern U.S. will still experience temperatures in the teens and 20s Fahrenheit from Monday into Tuesday. The Mid-Atlantic and Northeast can anticipate similarly frigid conditions, with highs in the teens and 20s, lows dipping below zero degrees Fahrenheit (-18 C), and wind chills below zero.The southward encroachment of these frigid temperatures will affect the South early this week. As many as 30 million people starting Monday could encounter a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. This unusual weather pattern is projected to span from Texas into northern Florida and the Carolinas. Impacts are anticipated beginning Monday night in Texas and then spreading across the Gulf Coast and Southeast on Tuesday into Wednesday. The storm is fueled by a confluence of frigid air and a low-pressure system over the Gulf, which could bring heavy snow just south of the Interstate 20 corridor across northern Louisiana and into Mississippi. A mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain is expected near the Interstate 10 corridor from Houston to Mobile, Alabama. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency on Saturday in anticipation of the severe weather, urging residents to stay prepared and monitor weather forecasts closely.
WEATHER WINTER STORM COLD WAVE SNOW SLEET FREEZING RAIN POLAR VORTEX EMERGENCY TEXAS LOUISIANA MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA FLORIDA CAROLINAS
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