Following unseasonably warm weather in NYC, warm enough to bloom roses in December, and now a Polar Vortex ushers in a widespread freezing cold, with snow chances into US during mid-January.
A glancing blow from the polar vortex will direct cold air southward and could raise the chance of snow in the central and eastern United States toward the middle or by the end of January.
The pattern of cold air coming and going will be a theme through January. Temperatures will rebound once again towards above-average levels in much of the Midwest and Northeast during the end of this week and the coming weekend.
High temperatures will return to the 30s in Minneapolis, the 40s in Chicago, the 50s in Washington, D.C., and the 60s in Atlanta for just a few days. Thps warm-up will just be temporary.
Major flooding is occurring or forecast on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers & tributaries in Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky, with record flooding at several locations. Major flooding is also occurring on the Arkansas River & tributaries in Arkansas. Floodwaters will move downstream over the next couple of weeks, with significant river flooding expected for the lower Mississippi into mid-January.
NYC forecasters warn...COLDEST NIGHT OF THE SEASON EXPECTED.
THE COMBINATION OF STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS AND PLUNGING TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL RESULT IN WIND CHILL VALUES NEAR ZERO. THESE BITTERLY COLD WIND CHILL READINGS WILL OCCUR AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AND WILL LAST THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. WIND CHILL READINGS WILL FALL TO AROUND ZERO LATE TONIGHT. FOR MORE INFORMATION...PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT.
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