What to know about the upcoming polar vortex

Don’t miss 2024 Record warm autumn Fall weather is soothing – winter is just around the corner, with an impending polar vortex set to remind you of the northern expanses of the United States.

According to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center, the northwestern United States will see “heavy coastal rain and high-altitude snow,” while the central and eastern United States will see waves of cold Arctic air. States bordering the Great Lakes will see “6 to 12 inches of snow,” while snow could fall in areas downwind of the lakes. (An AccuWeather meteorologist said parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York will get up to 2 feet, or 61 centimeters, of snow.) You can see a map for weather forecast here; The NWS Short Forecast is valid through Saturday, January 4.

Rain and snow will expand across the Northwest by Friday, according to the National Weather Service, and a high pressure system over the Great Plains will send cold air across the central and eastern U.S. through Monday. If you’re interested in a specific location, the NWS has it Easy to use tool It allows you to click anywhere in the country and get a short-term forecast and write about the weather forecast for that area.

According to AccuWeatherAreas south of those snowfall areas — from the Plains to the Ohio Valley and Tennessee — could experience a significant amount of ice that could cause downed trees and power outages. ‘Tis the season for that; On January 9, 2024, a massive winter storm occurred Rolled across Eastern United States, bringing rain and snow across affected states and even producing tornadoes. The same preparedness information applies for this storm as it does for most stormy weather events: Don’t travel in hazardous conditions unless you have to, and make sure you have enough supplies at home to shelter in place for a few days.

The frozen front is a reminder that the polar vortex isn’t just something that stays in the Arctic; As climate change occurs, the polar vortex can take on a wave pattern. a report published Last month in Environmental research: climate Investigate the trend. In essence, don’t expect global warming to always lead to higher temperatures. Changing climate patterns can disrupt the polar vortex, moving warm air north and pushing cold air south.

“It seems really counterintuitive, but there will be a lot of ice, snow and cold air in Arctic winters for decades to come, and that cold could move south into densely populated areas due to Arctic heat waves,” said Jennifer Francis, an environmental researcher at Harvard University. “Northern.” The paper’s author is at the Woodwell Climate Research Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration He releases.

However, the impending winter storm is an anomaly from the National Weather Service’s overall forecast for the first quarter of 2025. published In late December, the service predicted that after a cold start to the new year, temperature trends point to warmer than normal conditions during March across the southern and eastern United States (temperatures are expected to be below average in the northwestern U.S. ). – Average precipitation is expected in the northwestern United States and the Great Lakes region, while below average precipitation is expected across much of the South.

Suffice it to say pack your bags and stay safe if you’re on the road! We’re almost two weeks into winter, and the season is offering a chilly chill for millions of Americans.