Washington DC, December 31: As the polar vortex moves southward, January is on track to become the coldest in a decade for the eastern United States. This icy shift comes as a stark departure from the mild and balmy weather that marked the end of the previous year, leaving millions preparing for a significant drop in temperatures and a chilling start to 2024.
Starting Thursday, temperatures will begin to drop across the Rocky Mountains and extend to the East Coast. However, the most significant cold blast is expected to hit in the next one to two weeks. This will bring sub-zero wind chills to the Midwest, with some areas experiencing temperatures up to 20 degrees below normal. Freezing conditions are likely to reach the Gulf Coast and even parts of Florida, though precise temperature forecasts are still uncertain, New York Post reported. Polar Vortex 2019: What Happens To Human Body At -50 Degree Celsius and How To Avoid Hypothermia.
Fox Weather warns that the polar vortex is likely to bring strong winter storms. These storms could hit from the middle to the end of next week, with the southeast possibly seeing snow or ice. While predicting the polar vortex is usually tricky, this time, the forecast is very certain. Weather models are strongly indicating that a cold wave is coming. The cold temperatures are expected to last throughout January, with warmer weather only arriving in February. Winter Storm in US: More Than 142 Million People Under Wind Chill Alert As Arctic Blast Sweeps Across America, Bringing Record-Low Temperatures.
How the Polar Vortex Causes Freezing Temperatures
The polar vortex weakens, allowing freezing arctic air to slip south, bringing cold temperatures to the U.S. This shift creates high winds and harsh winter conditions. The cold weather lasts until the vortex stabilizes and pushes the arctic air back north.
January’s cold wave follows a December that started off cold but ended unusually warm, with some western areas seeing temperatures 13 degrees above normal. In 2014, a similar polar vortex caused deadly cold across the country, even in places like Georgia, where temperatures dropped below 10°F.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 31, 2024 08:22 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).