Extreme cold watch: Arctic outbreak bringing life-threatening cold to millions
Cold weather advisories stretch across much of the Midwest and into the Southeast, from Montana to Alabama.
Arctic outbreak targeting North, Southeast with dangerously cold weekend temperatures
Cold weather alerts are in effect across the northern tier of the U.S. and into the Southeast, as temperatures are expected to plummet into dangerous cold across some parts of the country. Wind chills are making things feel colder, like in Fargo, North Dakota where it feels like -29 degrees Saturday morning.
Another outbreak of bitter arctic air is targeting dozens of states across the country this weekend, with plummeting temperatures and wind chill values causing dangerous cold for more than 200 million Americans and the worst of the frigid temperatures to come.
La Niña Winter has proved active this December, with multiple blasts of arctic air and snow pummeling much of the northern tier of the country thus far.
On Saturday morning, temperatures across the northern tier of the U.S. were already feeling way below average at -29 degrees in Fargo, North Dakota, -21 in Minneapolis and -15 in Milwaukee.
NOAA: LA NIÑA EXPECTED FOR BEGINNING OF WINTER, NEUTRAL CONDITIONS LIKELY IN 2026
CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 15: Commuters, bundled for warmth, walk toward an L station on December 15, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois.
(Scott Olson / Getty Images)
Parts of the Upper Midwest could see wind chills as low as -40 degrees as the weekend progresses.
It's some of the coldest air of the season so far, with temperatures ranging from 20-30 degrees below average.
(FOX Weather)
An Extreme Cold Warning is in effect for parts of northeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota until Sunday afternoon.
Cold weather advisories stretch across much of the Midwest and into the Southeast, from Montana to Alabama.
(FOX Weather)
In total, 30 million Americans are under cold weather advisories this weekend.
Government agencies across the North and Midwest are giving warnings to their citizens as the extreme cold settles in.
Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management reminded residents to dress in layers, keep skin covered and limit time outdoors, bring outdoor pets inside and cover and check their paws when taking them outside.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR PETS SAFE IN COLD WEATHER
(Boston, MA - 1/2/18) A dog wearing a jacket and booties takes a walk in Chinatown as temperatures hover just above single digits, Tuesday, January 02, 2018.
(Angela Rowlings/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald / Getty Images)
Things are expected to get colder as Sunday approaches, with wind chill values in Minneapolis approaching -3 by Sunday morning.
Temperatures this cold will be life-threatening, with frostbite and hypothermia possible within minutes if outside for too long without proper winter gear.
Cold weather alerts issued in Southeast
By Monday, the arctic blast will start to surge into the Northeast and Southeast.
(FOX Weather)
In the Southeast, and Extreme cold Watch is in effect beginning Sunday morning from Eastern Georgia through the Carolinas and a cold weather advisory is in place for part of Southeastern Georgia and Southwestern South Carolina.
The FOX Forecast Center explained that cold weather alert thresholds differ significantly in the South from the North, hence the early warning for those states.
Ice adorns a fountain in Charleston, South Carolina, on December 24, 2022.
(PEDRO UGARTE/AFP / Getty Images)
In the Carolinas, wind chill thresholds can be as high as 5 to 10 degrees, while in states like Minnesota, warnings typically are not issued until wind chills reach around –30 degrees, the FOX Forecast Center said.
Snow and extreme cold make for messy mix for the Northeast
Meanwhile, in the Northeast, Monday could be the coldest day of the year so far, once wind values are factored in.
Cities along the I-95 corridor could see their first measurable snow of the season, including New York City, Boston and Philadelphia.
(FOX Weather)
Accompanying the snow is the arctic air, with wind gusts of 15-20 mph making things much colder.
The FOX Forecast Center said temperatures along the I-95 corridor could feel like single digits.
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 05: Bundled up pedestrians walk through Times Square, January 5, 2018 in New York City.
(Drew Angerer / Getty Images)
It is likely to see some areas in the Northeast and New England put under cold weather alerts, but it will depend on how much wind lingers, the FOX Forecast Center said.
NOAA said La Niña will likely give way to ENSO neutral conditions sometime between January and March 2026.