A bitter gust of arctic air will lead to dangerously cold conditions this week within the Northern Rockies, central and northern plains and the Upper Midwest, with temperatures dropping well below freezing and shivers reaching -50 to -60 degrees in some places by the top of the week. according to the FOX Forecast Center.
Sub-zero temperatures will eventually reach as far south as the Gulf Coast as hundreds of thousands of people across the region experience the coldest winter temperatures in several years. Dangerously low temperatures will then spread to the Great Lakes and the Northeast by the weekend, freezing areas in what is predicted to be a devastating winter storm with blizzards and the likelihood of widespread power outages.
“The high pressure now parked over Canada’s northwest territories is picking up cold air from the poles within the Arctic after which pushing it down and into the North Rockies, Dakota and Upper Midwest,” said FOX meteorologist Steve Bender. “The developing low pressure center over the Great Lakes will then make the most of this arctic air and speed up it down to the southern plains.”
The Northern Lowlands can stay below freezing for days
Arctic air began its week-long journey by pouring south from Canada over the weekend, and already Monday morning lows were at the very least -20 or lower in northern Montana – Glasgow had a forecast low of -24, while -16 was expected within the Great Falls . With strong winds, felt temperatures ranged from -35 to -40 degrees.
It is a sign of the depth of the cold air that may soon spread across much of the remaining of America’s heartland. Wind warnings and watches are already stretching across much of the Upper Midwest:
Highs projected for Monday within the Northern Plains were barely single digits in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota – Bismarck dropped below zero Saturday night and remains to be not expected to hit zero on Monday – or any day this week.
Very low temperatures will move south and east over the following few days. On Tuesday, some morning low temperature readings could approach -30 degrees in parts of Montana and North Dakota, with Bismarck hitting a low of -15, Pierre in South Dakota dipping to -10 – and even Minneapolis dipping below freezing.
Denver will “only” fall into the mid-20s, but it would be warm compared to what comes later this week.
Temperatures will drop below freezing across much of the Midwest on Wednesday morning, extending as far south as Texas. Within the northern plains, freezing temperatures will probably be as high as 50 degrees, with temperatures approaching -20 or below. At such low temperatures, frostbite can appear after just 10 minutes.
Not only is it the cold that is coming with the Arctic front, but a period of snow and gusty winds will spread across the Northern Plains Wednesday afternoon, making its way as far south as Oklahoma and as far east as Michigan by early Thursday. Winds will blow between 30 and 55 miles per hour, making the journey from Kansas to Wisconsin dangerous.
Temperatures will drop to -60 degrees on Thursday
By Thursday morning, much of the heartland will probably be within the icy grip of an Arctic gust as heavy snowfall begins to blanket the Great Lakes region.
Morning temperatures will probably be as low as -30 in Casper, Wyoming, and possibly -22 in Billings, Montana. But freezing temperatures will spread far south, with morning lows of -12 in Denver, -10 in Omaha, Nebraska, and even -3 in Salina, Kansas.
Even the Pacific Northwest will feel the sting of an Arctic blast, with lows in Boise down to around 5 degrees and morning temperatures around -10 degrees in Spokane, Washington.
But as cold as these temperatures seem, wind chills will border on absurdity for much of the northern plains and upper midwest.
Common temperature readings of -40 to as low as -60 degrees are likely within the Dakota, Montana and Wyoming, with -30 readings in parts of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and even Denver. According to the FOX Forecast Center, nearly 3 million people will experience temperature readings of -40 or below on Thursday, with nearly 90 million experiencing sub-zero temperatures.
South enters Deep Freeze
After spending several days freezing the Midwest, a bitter gust of cold air will move south and east Thursday through Friday. This can cause temperatures to drop from the southern plains to the southeast.
Friday morning low temperatures are expected in the teenagers and single digits as far north as Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee, according to the FOX Forecast Center, while temperatures will stay in the teenagers from central Texas to Georgia. Dallas-Fort Price Airport could drop below 10 degrees on Friday.
“Areas like Oklahoma, Arkansas, northern Texas and northern Louisiana and the Mississippi Delta need to be prepared for the cold and potential power outages as wind gusts will probably be quite strong together with the likelihood of freezing,” said Bender.
7 WAYS TO PREVENT FREEZING OF WATER PIPES IN DIFFICULT LOW TEMPERATURES
The nippiness is probably going to be one of the coldest readings in at the very least five years for a lot of areas east of the Mississippi River, and advice on how cold it feels could also be needed as far as the Gulf Coast.
Several locations within the south may not get out of their teens or 20s on Friday, setting records for the bottom maximum temperatures.