A meteorologist with CNN, Monica Garrett, has stated that more than 70% of the United States population will experience freezing temperatures next week as Arctic air sweeps across the country.
In a special report, she explained that the cold surge, which will dominate the eastern two-thirds of the nation, is expected to bring the harshest temperatures of the winter so far, with conditions plunging to dangerously low levels over the coming days.
She noted that the frigid air, arriving in multiple waves, will disrupt the recent mild spell and persist well into January, with temperatures forecasted to be 5 to 30 degrees below normal.
The initial push will hit the north-central US on Wednesday, where Montana, the Dakotas, and Minnesota are set to see daytime highs in the single digits or teens.
She said by the weekend, the cold will have spread south and east, leaving cities like Chicago, Kansas City, and Cincinnati struggling to climb above freezing, while northern North Dakota braces for lows as extreme as 25 degrees below zero.
Breezy conditions will compound the cold, creating wind chills that make it feel even more bitter, particularly in the eastern half of the country. By Saturday morning, residents as far south as Atlanta and along the I-95 corridor from Raleigh to Boston will need to prepare for wind chill values in the teens.
The chill will also reach areas unaccustomed to such weather, including Florida and the Gulf Coast. Orlando’s daytime highs are predicted to stall in the 50s this weekend, while New Orleans could see its first freezing temperatures since last January.
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The freeze poses a threat to Florida’s citrus crops and may even lead to the peculiar phenomenon of iguanas falling from trees due to the cold.
Garrett noted that the weekend’s cold snap is only a precursor to a more brutal Arctic blast early next week. By Monday, even colder air will surge into the northern US, spreading to the eastern two-thirds of the country by Tuesday.
These conditions are expected to produce the lowest temperatures of the season, with dangerously low wind chills threatening those without adequate heat or shelter, especially at night.
She added that the cold air is likely to remain entrenched through the second weekend of January, potentially setting the stage for snow and ice in areas unaccustomed to winter precipitation.
