Deadly cold will move into the U.S. this weekend, bringing heavy snow with it.
An incoming arctic blast will bring frigid temperatures to much of the nation, accompanied by a winter storm system that is expected to dump snow across the Midwest, the Great Lakes region, parts of the Northeast and the Pacific Northwest. Snow will hit the western U.S. first before it moves eastward. The forecasted snow could cover roughly 60 percent of the country at the same time.
The system follows a series of winter storms that brought gusty winds, cold temperatures and heavy precipitation to most of the nation this week, including snow in Hawaii.
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines said most of the snow will fall through Sunday, bringing an average of 12 to 18 inches across the Midwest and the Great Lakes region, although some areas in the Great Lakes region could see upwards of several feet of snow.
"I'm sure there will be places that come in with 4 feet of snow," Kines told Newsweek, adding that the snow, frigid temperatures and brutally cold winds are a deadly combination.
"It's a storm that commands respect," Kines said. "For the Midwest, Northeast, and Great Lakes, there's going to be a lot of snow with it, a lot of wind and a lot of cold. The combination of those three, if you're outside and you get stuck in this, it's not good news."
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a wind chill forecast map that predicted North Dakota, South Dakota, far northern Idaho and far northern Washington will experience wind-chill temperatures colder than -40 degrees Fahrenheit. Subzero temperatures also will grip the Midwest. The Northeast won't be as cold, though.
"That zero-degree air doesn't get into the Northeast," Kines said. "It'll still be below normal, temperature wise, but by far the brunt of the cold is definitely out in the Midwest."
The incoming system is unexpected given El Niño, a climate pattern that typically favors warm, wet winters. However, Kines doesn't expect the cold to hang around for long.
"This isn't going to be a pattern change. In time, it'll revert back to what it normally does during the El Niño patterns," Kines said. "Those patterns usually block the arctic cold from heading south into the U.S. We don't expect the Midwest to be locked in frigid weather for weeks and weeks."
In October, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted that the North and Northwest would experience a warm winter, although the incoming arctic blast will disrupt those forecasts.
About the writer
Anna Skinner is a Newsweek senior reporter based in Indianapolis. Her focus is reporting on the climate, environment and weather ... Read more
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