Bitterly Cold Air to Infiltrate Much of U.S. Leading Up to Christmas

Posted: December 20, 2022 11:07 am

If you think it is cold now, just wait until you see how frigid it will be by the end of the week? A large mass of Arctic air is setting up to drop through the eastern two-thirds of the nation this week, challenging a host of records along the way.

To say that it is about to get cold is an understatement. Temperatures are forecast to drop up to 30 degrees below normal for the end of December in a large area stretching from the northern Rockies and into the Deep South. The blast of Arctic air will set up in the days leading up to Christmas. Here is a look at what each region can expect with this frigid weather forecast.

Northern Plains and Midwest

Last week’s storm system across the northern Plains has already set the stage for the bitterly cold temperatures that are currently in place. Another mass of Arctic air will make its way back into the region by the middle of this week, bringing the mercury down to up to 40 degrees below zero in some parts of North Dakota and Montana. Should these readings come to fruition, records from the 1980s may be in danger of falling.

While it is not expected to get quite that cold across the Upper Midwest, cities such as Minneapolis and Chicago are predicted to see temperatures that are more along the lines of what you would see in January and February rather than around the holidays.

This part of the U.S. can expect to see the coldest weather on Thursday and Friday just as travelers head out for the holidays. In addition to the rapidly plunging mercury levels, gusty winds will bring the real feel temperatures down even further.

South Central U.S and Southeast

The frigid air anchored over the Midwest and northern Plains will eventually filter into the South Central U.S. and the Southeast to close out the week. Overnight lows may drop into the upper single digits in cities as far south as Atlanta and Dallas. These readings could be cold enough to trigger crop damage in the southern tier of Texas.

Highs may struggle to get out of the upper 20s and the 30s across the Gulf Coast region. This weather pattern is forecast to deliver hard freezes to a large area of the Interstate 20 and 20 corridors. Travelers heading out of town for the holiday will want to take care to ensure that pipes will not freeze in their absence.

Christmas is forecast to be slightly warmer for this part of the country, however, it will still be much colder than normal for this time of the year.

Northeast

The Northeast will also not be left out of the cold. However, the depth of the frigidity may be somewhat tempered by the time it reaches this corner of the country. Despite no records expected to fall, it is still forecast to be significantly colder than what the region has experienced over the last few holiday seasons.

For instance, the average high temperature in New York City for Christmas Day is 42 degrees. The forecast for this day this year is sitting at about 30 degrees as of now. This will be substantially colder than the last few years when those in the Big Apple enjoyed readings of 52 degrees in 2021 and a balmy 61 degrees in 2020.

Similarly, the reading of 68 degrees in 2021 in Washington, D.C. will be far in the rearview mirror when the nation’s capital struggles to climb out of the 30s for a high this year. This will follow the trend throughout the region over the holiday weekend.

Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post

Recent Posts