What to Know About the Incoming Polar Vortex

Don’t allow 2024 Record-warm autumn The sweater will soothe you into a fall-like feeling of weather—winter is upon us, as an impending polar vortex is poised to wreak havoc on the northern United States.

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

Rain and snow showers will expand across the Northwest by Friday, and a high pressure system over the Great Plains will send freezing air through the central and eastern United States on Monday, according to the NWS. If you’re interested in a specific location, the NWS has one Simple tool It allows you to click anywhere in the country and write a short range forecast and weather outlook for that area.

According to AccuWeatherAreas south of the snowfall — from the Plains to the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys — could experience heavy snowfall that could cause downed trees and power outages. Season for it; On January 9, 2024, a massive winter storm rolled across In the eastern US, rain and snow fell across the affected states and even spawned tornadoes. There are the same preparation tips for this storm as for most severe weather events: Don’t travel in dangerous conditions unless you have to, and make sure you have enough supplies at home for a few days.

The cold front is a reminder that the polar vortex isn’t something that only exists in the Arctic; As climate changes, the polar vortex may take on a wavelike pattern. A report published last month Environmental Studies: Climate Investigate trends. In short, don’t expect global warming to always cause temperatures to rise. Changing climate patterns can disrupt the polar vortex, causing warm air to move north and cold air to push further south.

“It seems really counterintuitive, but Arctic winters over the next few decades will have lots of ice, snow, and frigid air, and that winter could be driven southward by Arctic heat waves into heavily populated areas,” said Jennifer Francis, a fellow at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Author of paper at Woodwell Climate Research Center in Administration release.

Even so, the impending winter storm deviates from the National Weather Service’s overall forecast for the first quarter of 2025. In a report published In late December, the service predicted that, after a cold start to the New Year, temperature trends suggest warm-to-normal conditions through March across the southern and eastern United States (average temperatures are forecast in the northwestern United States). Average precipitation numbers are forecast for the U.S. and the Great Lakes region, while above-average precipitation is expected in most regions south of

If you’re on the road, just bundle up and be safe! We’re about two weeks into winter and the season is delivering a chilly wallop for millions of Americans.