A new long-range outlook is raising alarms, warning that some of the coldest temperatures on the planet are likely to settle over the northeastern United States before December draws to a close. Climatologist Judah Cohen of MIT explained to USA Today that the chilly start to the month is merely a preview, saying, “My thinking is that the cold the first week of December is the appetizer and the main course will be in mid-December.”
According to Cohen, weather models are flagging an enormous zone of potentially record-breaking cold stretching across North America. He noted, “The most expansive region of most likely extreme cold on Earth stretches from the Canadian Plains to the U.S. East Coast in the 3rd week of December,” crediting his analysis to computer-driven atmospheric simulations.
This looming deep freeze is tied to a projected shift in the polar vortex, which appears ready to sag southward and send a torrent of Arctic air barreling across the country. Although the precise temperature plunge cannot yet be pinned down, Cohen believes the looming cold spell will surpass the already frigid conditions hitting parts of the nation this week.
Midwestern states are already struggling with daytime temperatures stuck in the teens and low 20s, with nighttime lows near zero from Illinois through Missouri. Cohen’s modeling suggests that the most intense cold air mass anywhere in the world later this month will be pointed straight at the U.S. East Coast.
Whether snow accompanies this outbreak remains uncertain, as storm development will determine how the cold manifests. But should a system materialize, the bitter temperatures will be more than sufficient to support significant winter weather.
Across the country, the season has already announced its arrival. Much of the Midwest endured a messy round of November snowfall over the weekend, triggering widespread delays and transportation headaches for travelers.
In the Northeast, the next punch arrives on Tuesday, when the region braces for its first major winter storm of the season. A developing Nor’easter is expected to spread snow from Pennsylvania through Maine, with Fox Weather predicting that parts of New York and New England could pick up as much as 8 inches, while isolated spots in New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont may receive up to a foot.
Major coastal cities—including New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia—are not expected to accumulate much, with brief morning flakes quickly giving way to a cold, steady rain lasting most of the day.
By early Wednesday, forecasters say the storm should finally be moving out, leaving the region to prepare for whatever the polar vortex has in store next.
{Matzav.com}
