Nationwide arctic blast puts 15 states at risk for record low temperatures more extreme than the last wave
Affecting two-thirds of the country, arctic air could set over 30 record lows across 15 states later this week, making temperatures even more extreme than the last wave.
Two-thirds of the country is bracing for below-average temperatures set to bring snow squalls Northeast
An arctic blast will leave 220 million Americans feeling below-average temperatures, creating chances of dangerous snow squalls across the Northeast. Pennsylvania and New York are bracing the most, as Interstates 90, 81 and 80 are expected to have whiteout conditions. Watch FOX Weather for all your travel updates.
A powerful arctic blast is on track to impact over 200 million Americans, bringing temperatures even colder than the last wave.
Over 30 record lows could fall across 15 states later this week, as many cities will see consecutive days of below freezing temperatures leading up to Thursday and Friday.
Arctic blast weekly outlook across the country (FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
Millions of Americans have already felt portions of this bitter arctic air from the Polar Vortex sweeping across the country.
When there is a disruption in the Vortex, it becomes weak and pushes colder air south towards Canada and the U.S.
On top of a La Niña winter, this has caused us to see typical temperatures for early February to appear in December.
This new wave of Arctic air is tracking to be even more extreme than what most of the country saw on Monday, where a Cold Weather Advisory was in effect for northern Montana and wind chills caused it to feel 20 to 30 degrees below zero.
Temperature lows in the Midwest after the arctic blast on Monday, Dec. 1 (FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
New temperature lows set to hit the Midwest with fresh wave of Arctic air tomorrow morning (FOX Weather / FOX Weather)
According to the FOX Weather Center, this new wave of Arctic air is set to surge across the country today, where colder temperatures will begin to take effect.
Many areas will stay at or below freezing, as the coldest air will linger over the High Plains and Upper Midwest, leaving cities like Chicago and Minneapolis to likely not climb above freezing for the duration of the week.
CHICAGO BRACES FOR THE ARCTIC BLAST AND A SECOND SNOWSTORM
By Thursday and Friday, things will take an even bigger shift, as the weather pattern evolves, ushering in a stronger blast of colder Arctic air. The push will be even more frigid due to the colder temperatures leading up to the big blast.
The Midwest will be the focal point for the coldest temperatures on Thursday, with the widespread outlook readings between 10 and below zero.
Iowa could reign in as a potential record-breaker for lows in cities such as Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, and Waterloo.
By Friday, the heart of the cold will expand to the I-95 corridor, where more record lows may fall across cities like Pittsburgh, New York, Indianapolis and Baltimore.
Morning temperatures across the Midwest and Great Lakes will be in the single digits, while the I-95 corridor will reach the upper 20s, making it 15 to 25 degrees below average for this time of year.
In total, over 40 record low temperatures are possible across the Northern Tier for both Thursday and Friday and below-average temperatures are expected to remain in some regions through mid-December.