The calendar may only say November, but a mid-winter preview is looming next week. An Arctic outbreak will bring the coldest air of the season, beginning Monday in the northern Rockies and northern Plains.
The cold this time will last longer and will be more widespread than other cold surges we have seen so far this season. By the end of the week more than two-thirds of the U.S. will see below-average temperatures.
The cold front begins its plunge in Montana and the Dakotas late Sunday, then into the Plains Monday, bringing much colder temperatures. Rapid City will go from a high near 60 degrees on Sunday to a high in the 20s on Monday.
Highs 10-35 degrees below average will plunge into Plains, western Great Lakes, Upper and mid-Mississippi Valleys on Monday and Tuesday. Minneapolis and Chicago may see their first sub-freezing high temperature of the season next week. In fact, highs may struggle to top the freezing mark in the Twin Cities for more than a week. The last time Chicago had a daytime high that didn't rise above freezing was March 25.
It will be breezy as well, which will make it feel even colder. Wind chills will range from the single digits below zero to the teens for much of the northern Plains and Midwest, especially midweek.
A few record cool high temperatures are possible as well, including Indianapolis on Wednesday (current record is 33 set in 1996) and Chicago next Saturday (current record is 32 set in 1969).
The coldest temperatures and the heart of the cold air will be anchored in the northern Plains and Midwest, but will stretch across much of the central and eastern U.S. High temperatures will only be in the 20s for much of the northern Plains and parts of the Midwest with lows dropping down into the teens. Several locations will even see single-digit lows beginning Tuesday morning, and parts of the northern High Plains and northern Rockies may see subzero lows.
The cold front is expected to reach the Northeast by Thursday, with the brunt of the cold first being felt by Friday. High temperatures won't likely top 50 degrees Thursday in Washington, D.C. The last time that happened was on March 26. New York City may see its first freeze sometime late next week and Boston may also drop to 32 degrees, which last occurred on April 18.
The cold will plunge into parts of the South. Nashville will see highs only in the 40s starting Wednesday, and daytime highs in Atlanta may struggle to reach 50 degrees for several days starting late in the week. Dallas will see high temperatures only in the 40s for several days next week. The last time Dallas did not reach 50 degrees was back on March 3.
Temperatures will remain below average for the central and eastern U.S. at least through the end of next week.
Some snow is also possible from the northern Rockies to the Upper Midwest and perhaps into the Northeast as the cold blasts into the U.S. Snow showers are in the forecast for Denver and Rapid City in the Sunday night into Monday night time frame. Accumulating snow is also likely in Minneapolis on Monday.
Some lake-effect snow is also expected to develop by midweek as the cold air locks in across the Great Lakes.
No picture available.
Link: http://www.wunderground.com/news/arctic-outbreak-coldest-season-20141105
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