What You Need to Know About the Incoming Polar Vortex

Don’t let 2024 record warm autumn Calming you down with the autumnal feel of sweater weather – winter is upon us as the inevitable polar vortex is set to bring the northern regions of the US to mind.

According to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center, “heavy coastal rain and high-elevation snow will occur” in the northwestern United States, while cold Arctic air will sweep across the central and eastern United States. States bordering the Great Lakes will get “anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of snow,” while areas downwind of the lakes could get more. (An AccuWeather meteorologist reported that parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York will get up to two feet, or 61 centimeters, of snow.) You can see the weather forecast map here; The NWS short forecast bulletin is valid through Saturday, January 4.

Rain and snow showers will expand across the Northwest by Friday, and a high pressure system over the Great Plains will send cold air across the central and eastern U.S. into Monday, according to the NWS. If you are interested in a specific location, the NWS has it useful tool it allows you to click anywhere in the country and write a short range forecast and weather forecast for that area.

According to AccuWeatherfrom the plains to the Ohio and Tennessee valleys, areas south of the snowfall could experience significant amounts of ice that could cause downed trees and power outages. ‘Tis the season for it; Severe winter storm on January 9, 2024 rolled along In the eastern United States, it is bringing rain and snow to affected states and even increasing tornadoes. The same preparedness information applies to worst-case weather events for this storm: Don’t travel in dangerous conditions unless you have to, and make sure you have enough supplies at home to last you several days of hunting.

The frigid front is a reminder that the polar vortex isn’t just something that stays in the Arctic; when climate change occurs, the polar vortex may take on a wave-like pattern. A report has been published last month Environmental Studies: Climate investigated the trend. In fact, don’t expect global warming to always cause temperatures to rise. Changing climate patterns can disrupt the polar vortex, moving warm air north and pushing cold air further south.

“It seems really counterintuitive, but for decades the Arctic will have plenty of ice, snow and cold air in the winter, and that cold can be transported southward by Arctic heatwaves to densely populated regions,” said Jennifer Francis, co-author of the study. – Author of the paper at the Woodwell Climate Research Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration release.

However, the expected winter storm is different from the National Weather Service’s overall forecast for the first quarter of 2025. In the report has been published In late December, the service predicted that after a cold start to the new year, temperature trends across the southern and eastern U.S. through March show warmer-than-normal conditions (with below-average temperatures forecast for the northwestern U.S.) Above—The northwestern U.S. and Average precipitation is forecast for the Great Lakes region, with below-average precipitation expected across much of the south.

Suffice it to say, pack up and be safe if you’re on the road! We’re almost two weeks into winter, and the season brings chilly moments for millions of Americans.