Bitter cold in forecast: December set for 'coldest start' in years for many
Winter may not be officially here on the calendar, but much of the country is already getting a wintry chill.
As many drivers make their way home from Thanksgiving travels, most of the north and eastern U.S. will face below-normal temperatures over the next week – with many regions currently under freeze warnings and watches. The culprit: a blast of cold Arctic air.
The weather event kicks off meteorological winter, which starts on Dec. 1. Of course, astronomical winter begins on Dec. 21, the winter solstice.
Along the Northeast corridor, bisected by Interstate 95, "this will be the coldest start to meteorological winter in years," AccuWeather said. For instance, New York City, which is expected to have highs 40 to 41 from Sunday to Thursday, will face its coldest start to December since 2019, when highs were 36 to 42 degrees Dec. 1 to 5, according to AccuWeather.
High temperatures in the northern Plains and Upper Midwest will be 10 to 20 degrees below average for this time of year. "Many areas across the northern tier will start the month of December with temperatures well below historical averages," said Paul Pastelok, lead long-range expert for AccuWeather.
In contrast to chilly temps over much of the eastern half of the U.S., the West gets a balmy warming trend. The Northwest is forecast for above average temperatures over the next few days with California, Texas and the Southwest expected to have temps mostly above average, according to Weather.com.
Wind chill advisories in Northern US
Thanks to that Arctic outbreak of cold air blasting from the northern Plains into the Midwest next week, dangerously cold wind chills are forecast for those regions, the NWS said.
Northwest and north-central North Dakota have a Cold Weather Advisory in effect into Saturday night with wind chills forecast as low as 35 degrees below zero.
Most of Minnesota and South Dakota, as well as northwest and west-central Iowa, west-central Wisconsin and northeast Nebraska are under a Hazardous Weather Outlook with wind chills of zero to -10 below forecast.
Northeast and Great Lakes
That Arctic air will also make its chilliness felt in the Great Lakes and Northeast U.S., which are also getting hit with a lake effect snow event, leading to some cases of dangerous snow accumulation.
While high temperatures will reach the 30s and 40s across the Northeast into next week, chill winds will make it feel as if the temperature is in teens or lower in the Great Lakes region and 10 to 20 degrees in the Northeast, according to the AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature index.
Freeze warnings in Southeast and Gulf Coast
The National Weather Service had issued freeze warnings for northeast Florida (north of Jacksonville), southeast South Carolina and southeast Georgia Saturday night into Sunday morning. A Saturday night frost advisory, with low temperatures of near freezing, is forecast for area just west of Jacksonville. Low temperatures were forecast for the region into Wednesday.
Freeze watches are in effect for southeastern Mississippi, coastal Alabama, south-central Georgia to the Florida Panhandle for Saturday night with evening temps below freezing forecast through Tuesday, the NWS said.
With below freezing temperatures forecast for the region, the agency recommended residents "take measures to protect young children, the elderly and the homeless. To prevent water pipes from freezing; wrap or drain or allow them to drip slowly. Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold."
Weather warnings and watches around the US
Warming trend for the west
Meanwhile, in the West, "benign weather and gradually warming temperatures are forecast, the NWS said. Through Dec. 9, the western half of the U.S. is forecast to have above normal or near normal temperatures, the agency says.
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