Polar vortex to bring freezing weather to US

USA, January 2 — Freezing weather is expected to hit the eastern US in the coming days as the polar vortex moves.

Temperatures are expected to remain below average for the south-east and East Coast through the first half of January. The Gulf of Mexico and Florida could also experience temperatures below freezing.

Meteorologists are predicting heavy snow for the Great Lakes region and into the Appalachians, as well as bitterly cold wind chills.

The polar vortex is an area of cold air that circulates around the Arctic. That area can shift and expand, bringing lower temperatures further south than usual.

Modelling by the independent forecaster Atmospheric and Environmental Research shows the polar vortex expanding over the US in the first two weeks of the new year.

The forecaster says this will bring below-normal temperatures into the eastern US during the second week of January.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warns that "the coldest air of the season to date and dangerous wind chills are likely across many areas of the south-east".

NWS predicts that lows could reach -8C (18F) in parts of Texas and -4C in Georgia on Tuesday night.

Temperatures will be far colder in the north, with northern Minnesota expected to dip to -25C at the same time.

Beyond then, exact temperatures are hard to forecast - but the NWS expects the coldest weather to occur towards the end of the second week of January.

Heavy snow is anticipated to extend from the Great Lakes region into central and eastern parts of the US around then, but snow could reach as far south as Texas.

The NWS says that while significant accumulations of snow are not expected for the south-east, "these regions are often ill-equipped to handle snowy conditions, resulting in potentially higher impacts".

It predicts an average of close to two inches of snowfall for the period.

In 2022, a powerful Arctic winter storm caused several deaths and widespread disruption across the US, leaving 1.5 million properties without power. The storm also caused oil production to temporarily cease at a dozen facilities on the Gulf coast.

While northern parts of the US are accustomed to cold winters with lots of snow, winds from the Canadian Arctic could bring hazardous wind chills of -29C to -34C. This can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.