Polar vortex 2016 will be ushering in frigid temps and snow to the central and eastern United States, dropping the mercury as much as 20 to 30 degrees below average in some parts of the country by next week.
The cold snap will "deliver a cold shock following record warmth during December," said Alex Sosnowski of
AccuWeather. "The cold will also affect a large swath of the nation. While the core of the cold air with the arctic outbreak early this week focused on the Northeast, the outbreak next week will first plunge across the Rockies and Plains, before turning eastward."
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Brett Anderson said the polar vortex will send a surge of Arctic air to the central and eastern parts of the country.
The cold blast expected to arrive Jan. 12 could run for about three days, bringing highs in the teens and single-digit lows, said Glenn Coin of
Syracuse.com, citing meteorologists. Some places in the upper Midwest "will struggle to get above zero."
Atlanta may get temperatures in the lower 40s with hard freezes at night across the interior South, but the cold air is not expected to reach the Florida peninsula.
While the coming polar vortex will likely bring the coldest temperatures of the season to places like central New York and northeastern United States, Coin said it will not last as long as the past two winters.
Places like Buffalo, Boston and Erie, Pennsylvania faced snow totals of 70 inches or more last winter, according to the
Washington Post.
Meteorology blogger Paul Douglas told the
Minneapolis Star Tribune on Monday that falling temperatures will make it rough for fans attending the NFL playoff game on Sunday in Minneapolis between the Seattle Seahawks and the Minnesota Vikings, comparing it to 1967's "Ice Bowl" playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Vikings.
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