Arctic winds from a powerful polar vortex are sweeping across several states, bringing dangerously cold temperatures and severe weather conditions.
It comes as the U.S. is potentially set to see its coldest January in over a decade.
Why It Matters
A polar vortex is currently hitting the United States, with schools closed in many parts of the country and at least four reported deaths caused by treacherous conditions.
Heavy snow falls as a person walks along Route 42 in Florence, Kentucky, on January 6, 2025. A polar vortex is hitting the United States.
Heavy snow falls as a person walks along Route 42 in Florence, Kentucky, on January 6, 2025. A polar vortex is hitting the United States.
Carolyn Kaster/AP
A polar vortex is a stream of cold air that normally spins around the North Pole, but occasionally it extends down into the United States, Europe or Asia. The phenomenon, which blasts Arctic air across parts of North America, can disrupt weather patterns.
Temperature
According to the Windy weather map, temperatures are currently freezing or below in most of the United States, with the coldest temperatures in northern states such as Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota, as well as parts of Wyoming.
AccuWeather forecaster Dan DePodwin said: “This could lead to the coldest January for the US since 2011.” Temperatures 12-25F below normal are forecast.
Wind
Powerful wind gusts of up to five knots are currently battering most of the country. In parts of Alaska, the National Weather Service (NWS) has warned that wind gusts could reach up to 65 mph today.
The NWS has also forecast sub-freezing temperatures across central, eastern and northern Texas, with wind chills as low as five degrees Fahrenheit in some areas.
Houston and coastal regions may experience 40 mph wind gusts, while Dallas-Fort Worth faces a possibility of single-digit wind chills. Texas has declared a state of emergency in response to the polar vortex. Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Arkansas have also declared a state of emergency.
Snow depth
Snow is currently deepest in the western and northern parts of the United States, according to the Windy weather map. That includes California, Washington, Oregon and Nevada, as well as Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho. In all these regions, a total of one meter of snow could accumulate.
The NWS has warned that up to seven inches of snow could accumulate in parts of Alaska, while between two and four inches of snow could accumulate in Pueblo County and El Paso County in Colorado.
Meanwhile, Kansas City is experiencing its heaviest snowfall in 32 years, with over a foot of snow accumulating so far, according to Matthew Cappucci, a senior meteorologist at the weather app MyRadar. Additionally, northern Missouri has already seen 14 inches of sleet and snow.
The NWS said the winter storm could bring “the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade.”
Weather warnings in place
Severe weather warnings are in place in multiple states, including California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida and Georgia.
In Florida, freeze warnings are in place for 17 counties, with the NWS warning against the dangers of hypothermia.
“Very cold temperatures can lead to hypothermia with prolonged exposure,” the NWS said.
It said 30 US states, spanning from the middle of the country to the east coast—including major cities such as Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia—are under weather alerts.
How Long Will the Polar Vortex Last?
AccuWeather is predicting a series of outbreaks of bad weather across the country from January 7 to 8 and January 11 to 12. More could come after that in smaller areas of the country, such the northeast and midwest, as late as January 15 to 16, if not longer.
DePodwin said “temperatures that are well below historical average” could linger for a week.
However, it is hard to predict how long the polar vortex will last.
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=677de3e010294ff69118dddb6032412c&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsweek.com%2Fpolar-vortex-live-map-tracker-2011105&c=7549283329166696926&mkt=en-us
Author :
Publish date : 2025-01-07 10:28:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
