Temperatures are expected to plummet over the weekend, bringing life-threatening conditions to large stretches of the United States.
The polar vortex will send temperatures below freezing for much of the country starting this weekend and stretching into next week, including for two major national events on Monday: President-elect Trump’s inauguration and the college football national championship.
The northern part of the country will experience the Arctic temperatures first, beginning Friday, the National Weather Service (NWS) says.
Very cold air from the Arctic Circle will come down over Canada and rush over the U.S. Friday night into Saturday morning. It will expand over much of the country and could be some of the longest-lasting Arctic air to hit the country in years, with temperatures that could feel like -40 degrees, CNN reported.
Snow is expected to begin downwind of Lake Erie and stretch across western New York beginning Thursday. Moderate to heavy snow is expected for the central Appalachians and stretch into parts of West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
The NWS said the Central U.S. and the Rocky Mountains are expected to experience an “abrupt change to reality” by Friday, with cold fronts, frigid temperatures and brutally cold wind chills. Some snow showers may happen.
The Eastern U.S. will see its very cold conditions continue and return to seasonal averages. In the south, some showers could occur and a few thunderstorms near the Gulf Coast region by Saturday morning.
On the West Coast, the wildfires that have devastated Los Angeles are starting look better as winds are shifting.
Subfreezing temperatures and sunshine are predicted for Trump’s inauguration in D.C. on Monday. The bitter cold in Washington follows the region’s largest snowstorm in years earlier this month.
