A powerful arctic blast is sweeping across the United States, causing temperatures to plummet up to 50 degrees below normal. The National Weather Service has issued extreme cold warnings for more than 32 million people in 11 states, stretching from the Canadian border to Texas. This cold snap, driven by the polar vortex, marks the tenth time this winter that such frigid conditions have descended into the U.S.
Wind chills are expected to range between 30 and 60 degrees below zero in the upper Midwest and central Plains. The weather service warns that these conditions can quickly lead to frostbite and hypothermia in unprotected individuals, pets, and livestock. They advise dressing in layers, including hats, face masks, and gloves, if venturing outside.
Cities like Minneapolis, Des Moines, and Omaha are experiencing highs in the single digits, while Dallas is forecasted to have a high of 27 degrees.
"The first shock wave of bitter arctic air is already well established across central and western Canada," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Joe Lundberg said.
The cold snap is accompanied by a winter storm that is expected to bring heavy snowfall across the northern Rockies, High Plains, Tennessee Valley, and the southern Appalachians. Areas in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and southern Missouri could see six to 12 inches of snow, while parts of Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina may receive up to eight inches or more.
"As the weekend storm strengthens while tracking [through] the Northeast, it will drag a significant chunk of that frigid air southward across the Great Plains and then force it eastward toward the Mississippi Valley, Appalachians, and the Atlantic coast early in the week," Lundberg added.