Several regions in the United States are facing a severe weather alert as they brace for what is being described as the ‘most extreme cold on Earth’ prior to the holiday season.
As Thanksgiving has passed, many are now focusing on Christmas, which is fast approaching.
However, before the holiday arrives, central to eastern parts of the United States are expected to experience frigid temperatures, potentially complicating last-minute Christmas shopping plans.
Judah Cohen, a climatologist from MIT, has forecasted that temperatures from the Midwest to the East Coast will drop to approximately 15 to 20 degrees below the average for December during the third week of this month.
To give some context, mid-December temperatures in New York typically hover around 37 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, this ‘extreme cold’ might see temperatures dipping to the high teens.
Cohen shared with USA Today his thoughts on the incoming freeze: “My thinking is that the cold the first week of December is the appetizer and the main course will be in mid-December.
“The most expansive region of most likely extreme cold on Earth stretches from the Canadian Plains to the US East Coast in the 3rd week of December.”
This week, many areas in the US are already contending with harsh cold, with the Midwest experiencing highs only in the 10s. Meanwhile, states like Illinois and Missouri are facing lows close to zero.
This severe cold can be attributed to the polar vortex dipping south, bringing with it icy arctic air across large parts of the United States.
Snow has already been reported in areas such as Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska, with Chicago’s O’Hare airport receiving over eight inches of snow last Saturday (November 29).
Meteorologist Andrew Orrison has indicated that ‘significant’ snowfall is anticipated in the mid-Atlantic and northeast on Tuesday (December 2).
“It’s going to be the first snowfall of the season for many of these areas, and it’s going to be rather significant,” he informed the Associated Press.
“The good news is that it does not look like the major cities at this point are going to be looking at any significant snowfall.”
Regions in New York and New England could see snowfall amounts of up to eight inches on Tuesday, with Fox Weather forecasts noting that some areas might receive as much as 12 inches.