Federal Agency Warns ‘Very Cold Arctic’ Temperatures to Hit Most of US During Christmas

A National Weather Service map shows temperatures for the week. (NWS)

A federal weather prediction agency said that temperatures this week will significantly drop due to a high-pressure system moving from Canada south across the United States.

“Very cold Arctic air masses will envelop much of the central and eastern half of the nation during the two week period, including the busy holiday travel season,” the Climate Prediction Center said in an alert.

By Tuesday, the arctic cold will spread from Washington to Wisconsin through Texas, said another federal agency. Some areas will see temperatures 45 degrees F below normal, the center said.

“Highs will only reach into the single digits throughout the northern Plains, while lows fall into subzero territory and minus teens closer to the Canadian border,” the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center said Monday. “Gusty winds will make it feel even colder throughout northern Montana, where wind chill advisories are in effect due to the potential for wind chills to dip as low as 30 to 45 degrees below zero.”

As of Monday, the arctic front continues to move across the northwestern U.S. and northern Plains region “with bitterly cold temperatures associated with the Arctic high located north of the front,” the National Weather Service (NWS) said. “Monday’s daytime highs over central and eastern Montana will struggle to get above zero today, while daytime lows ranging from 0 to -15 degrees will be common from eastern Washington to the Upper Mississippi Valley.”

“By Tuesday, the core of the exceptionally colder temperatures in the Canadian Prairies pushes even more into the northern High Plains with dangerously cold and windy conditions. Daytime lows on Tuesday dip as low as -20 to -30 in parts of Montana, with sub-zero lows bleeding more into the central High Plains. Blustery winds throughout the region are responsible for bone-chilling wind chills, ranging as cold as -30 to even -60 degrees. This has prompted the issuance of numerous Wind Chill Warnings, Advisories, and Watches across the northern High Plains that will likely be in effect for much of the week.”

Blizzard conditions are forecast to hit parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes on Thursday and Friday, officials said. That will likely lead to numerous flight delays and cancelations for many travelers as Chicago O'Hare International Airport, a key airline hub, will be impacted.

“The next two days are your getaway days. As we go into the end of the week, that’s when we see some big-time issues, especially for Friday,” FOX Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin said. “Friday is one of the biggest travel days that we will see for the entire week, and that’s when we will see the majority of the snow, the strongest winds, and of course, a lot of rain, especially for the East Coast.”