On January 17, a blast of Arctic air is expected to envelop much of the United States, bringing below-freezing temperatures from Friday through next week, impacting millions of Americans across almost all contiguous states.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures will drop to below 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-12 C) in the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, reaching the teens in the central Plains and Midwest, and hovering around 30 degrees in parts of the South on Saturday. The cold front will then move towards the East Coast and the Southeast by Monday.
Forecaster Zack Taylor from the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center stated that sub-zero wind chills will be felt as far south as the Southern Plains starting Sunday night, persisting through early to mid-next week across the southern U.S., Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic, and Northeast.
The upcoming cold snap is attributed to a polar vortex, which can funnel frigid air from the Poles into North America. The NWS has issued warnings of "life-threatening" risks of hypothermia and frostbite due to the extreme cold.
President-elect Donald Trump announced that his inauguration will be impacted by the severe cold, with Washington, D.C. expecting temperatures as low as 23 degrees on Monday, potentially feeling colder with wind chill.
Snow and freezing temperatures are anticipated from Virginia up to New England, with major cities like Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston possibly receiving several inches of snow.
Additionally, Southern states may face snow and ice from a separate storm beginning Monday night in Texas, potentially extending as far south as the Gulf Coast, posing challenges for inhabitants unaccustomed to wintry conditions.