Arctic Outbreak to Bring Coldest Air of the Season Next Week

The cold this time will last longer and will be more widespread than other cold surges we have seen so far this season.

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 10-30 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 by midweek. In fact, highs may struggle to top the freezing mark in the Twin Cities for several days. 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 be in the single digits and teens for much of the northern Plains and Midwest, especially on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

A few record cool high temperatures are possible as well, including Indianapolis on Wednesday (current record is 33 set in 1996) and Toledo, Ohio on Friday (current record is 33 set in 1997).

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. In fact, 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 see single-digit lows beginning Tuesday morning, and parts of the northern High Plains and northern Rockies may see subzero lows.

Temperatures will remain below average for the central and eastern U.S. 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 timeframe.

Link: http://www.wunderground.com/news/arctic-outbreak-coldest-season-20141105