Polar Vortex to Scythe through the U.S.

The Big Freeze could affect up to 220 million people across 44 states in the U.S.

Wind chill values of up to -35°F forecast this week

US Temperatures are forecast to plunge by as much as 30 degrees below average over parts of the Northern Plains.

The coldest weather of the season is expected to arrive in the next couple of days for the northern Rockies and northern Plains as a cold airmass moves out of Canada. Significant snowfall is likely for parts of the northern Rockies, northern Plains and Great Lakes region as the cold front moves southward. Winter Storm Watches, Warnings and Advisories are in place highlighting the associated risks.

A winter storm will bring heavy snow and gusty winds to portions of Northland today and tonight. The bulk of the snow, and best chance for totals in excess of 8 inches, will be along and south of a line from generally Duluth, MN to Brainerd, MN and across all of northern Wisconsin.

Additional snow will persist across the snow-belt region of northern Wisconsin through at least Wednesday, due to the cool north winds over Lake Superior. [NWS]

National High and Low Temperature (for the contiguous United States)
NWS Weather Prediction Center, College Park, MD
Issued 7 am EST Monday, November 10, 2014 (Last Update on 10 Nov 5:53 am MST)

Low Temperature for Monday, November 10, 2014
1ºF at Great Falls, MT

Humidity: 91%
Wind Speed: SW 6 MPH
Barometer: 30.09 in (1027.0 mb)
Dewpoint: -1°F (-18°C)
Visibility: 9.00 mi
Wind Chill: -11°F (-24°C)

High Temperature for Sunday, November 9, 2014
91ºF  at Yuma, AZ
91ºF  at Elsinore, CA

Arctic Blast from the Past

Typical polar vortex configuration in November 14-16, 2013. NOAA

Wavy polar vortex configuration on January 5, 2014. NOAA

Dangerous wind chills are expected beginning late Monday night through at least Wednesday! Wind chill values are expected to drop to -10°F to -20°F in many areas, and prolonged exposure to these conditions could lead to frostbite or hypothermia. The coldest wind chill values are expected Tuesday night through Wednesday morning and valleys near the Continental Divide could see wind chill values locally up to -35°F. 

Areas along the snowbelt region of northern Wisconsin can expect snowfall totals on the 20 inches or more by Thursday.  [NWS]

Anything that could freeze up…

EXTREME CLIMATIC & WEATHER EVENTS
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Polar Vortex Helps Shatter North America Temperature Records

275 U.S. Daily Lowest Min Temperature Records broken, 69 others tied January 1 – 6, 2014, according to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).

Partial Map of the U.S. showing all but two of the 344 Daily Lowest Min Temperature Records broken or tied between 1 and 6 January, 2014. Source: NCDC.

Affected Areas

Daily temperature records were shattered across the US, including in the states of Alabama (tied), Arkansas, California (tied), Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,  Michigan,  Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon (tied), Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

How Cold?

Temperatures were as much as 35 degrees  (19.4ºC) below normal in a vast region extending from the Midwest to the Southeast, said the National Weather Service (NWS).

On January 5, FIRE-EARTH Models showed that the Arctic storm would affect about 250 million people in 40 states.

Major U.S. cities reported frigid conditions on Monday and early Tuesday. The lowest temperatures recorded were

• Boston: 15ºF (-9º C)
• Chicago:  2ºF (-17ºC)
• Cleveland: –11ºF (-24ºC), shattering a 130-year-old record
• Detroit:  0ºF (-18ºC)
• New York (Central Park): 4ºF (-16ºC)
• Pittsburgh 5ºF (-15ºC)
• Washington 19 (minus 7 C)

Even Hell, Michigan, froze over with temperatures plunging to as low as 1ºF (-17ºC).

Those  temperatures felt a lot colder due to wind chill factor.

[Temperatures inside household freezers are typically between 0ºF and 14ºF (−18ºC and −10ºC). Editor]

Low Temperature Map of the U.S. Source: NWS

National High and Low Temperature (for the contiguous United States) Issued 7pm EST Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Low Temperature

• -35 degrees (-37ºC) at Embarrass, MN
• -35 degrees at Brimson, MN

High Temperature

• 75 degrees (24ºC) at San Pasqual Valley, CA

Source: NWS Weather Prediction Center, College Park, MD

National temperature spread: 110 degrees (61ºC)

Flight Cancellations and Delays

In Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport about 60 percent of the flights were canceled on Tuesday as fuel supplies froze, leaving crews unable to fill aircraft tanks.

Total flight cancellations on Saturday:  1,771 (from or into the U.S., 1,507)
Total flight cancellations on Sunday: 3,905  (US: 3,517)
Total flight cancellations on Monday: 4,459 (US: 4,018)
Total cancellations on Tuesday: 3,274 (US: 2,688)
Total Flight delays for the period, as of posting:  57,100 (US: 32,290)
More than 800 (US: 513)  flight cancellations and 1,300 (US: 110) delays were reported on Wednesday, as of posting (06:30UTC).
(Source: FlightAware.com)

Related Links and Chronology

• More Extreme Weather Events to Hit North America Posted by feww on January 7, 2014
• 2014: Year Five of Human-Enhanced Natural Disasters  January 1, 2014
• Major Winter Storm to Batter Midwest, Northeast January 2, 2014
• States of Emergency Declared in New York, New Jersey January 3, 2014
• Climate and Weather Extremes Plaguing the World January 4, 2014
• Deadly Cold Plagues U.S. January 5, 2014
• UPDATED: Deadly Cold Plagues U.S. January 5, 2014
• Giga Arctic Blast Affecting 250 Million in 40 States January 5, 2014
• States of Emergency Declared in NW Indiana, Tennessee January 6, 2014