August M
According to reporting from UniLad, large parts of the United States are preparing for an intense blast of Arctic air.
UniLad reports that MIT climatologist Judah Cohen expects temperatures from the Midwest to the East Coast to fall 15 to 20 degrees below the seasonal average in mid-December.
He told USA Today that the chill arriving in early December is “the appetizer,” while the more severe phase will strike in the third week of the month.
“The most expansive region of most likely extreme cold on Earth stretches from the Canadian Plains to the US East Coast,” Cohen said.
Such a drop could push typical mid-December temperatures in cities like New York — normally around 37°F — down into the teens.
Cold already biting
According to UniLad, parts of the Midwest are already enduring highs in the 10s, while states such as Illinois and Missouri have reported temperatures near zero.
The dramatic shift is linked to a dip in the polar vortex, allowing Arctic air to spill southward across the central and eastern United States.
Snow has also arrived early. Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska all recorded snowfall, and Chicago’s O’Hare airport saw more than eight inches over the weekend.
Forecasters say this early activity may foreshadow tougher conditions ahead.
Winter challenges ahead
With Thanksgiving behind them and Christmas shopping underway, Americans in affected regions may face a difficult few weeks.
The expected cold surge could complicate travel, delay deliveries and disrupt holiday preparations across a large portion of the country.
Sources: UniLad, USA Today, Associated Press, Fox Weather
