The term polar vortex is returning to the weather lexicon as the first arctic blast of the winter season is expected to hit the country, sending temperatures plunging across the country.
Meteorologist Ryan Maue posted a tweet Tuesday with photos comparing the upcoming weekend weather pattern with the 2014 polar vortex.
"Winter Storm Caly kicks into gear Thursday in the Pacific Northwest, including Seattle and Portland, and will then lay down an over 2,600-mile swath of snow through the Rockies, Plains, Midwest, and Northeast into early next week," The Weather Channel reported.
"Winter storm warnings have been issued for the Portland, Oregon, metro area, while Seattle has been placed under a winter weather advisory. This means significant amounts of snow, sleet or ice are expected, which will make travel hazardous. With the coldest air of the season either in place or heading in, together with an active jet stream, the stage is set for this cross-country swath of snow," the broadcaster said.
The New York Daily News reported that snow could advance to New England and the Mid-Atlantic by Monday with a snow and rain mix. That is when the polar vortex is expected to reach into the U.S. and Canada, hitting the Rockies and northern Plains first, with below-average temperatures.
"It's going to be a shock," Kevin Roth, senior meteorologist at The Weather Channel said, according to NBC News. "The fall was closest to the warmest on record so this is really back to reality."
that After the first wave of chilly temperatures, a second dose could arrive late next week, NBC News said. After a brief break, temperatures could tumble into the negative next Friday in Midwestern cities such as Chicago and Minneapolis, into the teens across the Northeast, into the 20s in the South.