Monday, December 12, 2016

Forecast for This Week: Arctic Plunge Brings Cold Air to Midwest and Northeast

A blast of bitter-cold arctic air will sweep across the Midwest to begin this week, and then pivot eastward into the Northeast region by late in the week ahead.
The first full week of December featured the first intrusion of arctic air this season in many parts of the country. This next shot of frigid temperatures appears to be even colder for many locations, with some areas seeing high or low temperatures near 30 degrees below average.
Wind chills may make it feel like the teens, 20s or 30s below zero in some Midwest cities at times during the week ahead.


An arctic cold front will push through the Midwest Monday into Tuesday, eventually reaching the Eastern Seaboard by Wednesday. High pressure will then build in behind the front, allowing very cold air to infiltrate portions of the U.S. An arctic cold front will push through the Midwest Monday into Tuesday, eventually reaching the Eastern Seaboard by Wednesday. High pressure will then build in behind the front, allowing very cold air to infiltrate portions of the U.S.

A southward dip in the jet stream will sweep an arctic cold front through the Midwest and Northeast regions by midweek.


It does appear that the stratospheric polar vortex is playing a role in the upcoming frigid conditions. The polar vortex is basically a closed circulation surrounding the polar regions in the upper atmosphere, and when it becomes weakened or elongated, a piece of it can surge farther south. The result is arctic cold reaching into parts of Canada.

Monday
  • Temperatures 10-30 degrees colder than average are expected from Montana to Minnesota and the western Great Lakes.
  • Highs in those areas will be in single digits, teens and low 20s.
Tuesday
  • Temperatures 10-30 degrees below average will engulf a swath from Montana to the Great Lakes.
  • Subzero low temperatures are forecast in parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota.
  • Wind chills in the morning will be in the 20s and 30s below zero from Montana into the Dakotas and parts of western/northern Minnesota.
  • Highs in the teens and single digits will be widespread in the upper Midwest.
Wednesday
  • Lows in single digits above and below zero will stretch from Montana to the western Great Lakes, including Chicago and Minneapolis.
  • Wind chills Wednesday morning will be in the teens and 20s below zero from Wisconsin and far northern Illinois to Montana. Some locations near the Canadian border could see wind chills in the 30s below zero.
  • Highs will be 10-25 degrees below average from Michigan westward to Montana.
Thursday
  • The cold air will sweep into the Northeast where highs will stay in the 20s from Boston to Washington D.C. Interior Northeast locations will only rise into the teens.
  • Subzero low temperatures are possible Thursday morning in Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. Highs will only rise into single digits in those cities.

https://www.wunderground.com/news/arctic-blasts-midwest-northeast-south-west-mid-december





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