The central and eastern United States are bracing for an extraordinary cold snap just ahead of Christmas, according to a new forecast that has climatologists warning of potentially record-breaking temperatures.
The New York Post reported that from the Midwest to the East Coast, temperatures are expected to plunge 15 to 20 degrees below December averages during the third week of the month, MIT climatologist Judah Cohen told USA Today.
In New York City, where mid-December temperatures usually hover around 37 degrees Fahrenheit, residents could face sustained lows in the teens and low 20s.
“My thinking is that the cold the first week of December is the appetizer and the main course will be in mid-December,” Cohen said. “The most expansive region of most likely extreme cold on Earth stretches from the Canadian Plains to the US East Coast in the 3rd week of December.”
The frigid air is expected to surge south from the polar vortex, bringing Arctic conditions across much of the country.
While exact temperatures will vary by region, Cohen predicts they will be significantly colder than the conditions currently gripping much of the Midwest, where highs are in the teens to mid-20s and lows in some areas drop near zero.
Some areas are already feeling the early stages of this cold surge. Albany, New York, is forecast to see temperatures in the teens and 20s over the weekend and into next week — 15 to 20 degrees below the seasonal norm.
Cohen’s model suggests similar extremes could affect much of the East Coast later this month.
Whether the cold will coincide with snow remains uncertain, but any storm systems that develop could deliver significant winter weather.
Earlier this week, much of the Midwest experienced November snowfalls that caused travel chaos, while a Nor’Easter is poised to strike the Northeast on Tuesday, dropping snow from Pennsylvania to Maine.
Forecasters predict swaths of New York and New England could see 8 inches of snow, with isolated pockets in New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont receiving up to a foot.
Coastal cities such as New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia are expected to see mostly a mix of flurries and cold rain. The storm is expected to clear the region by Wednesday morning, leaving a bitter chill in its wake.
Cohen emphasized that the coming mid-December cold could be some of the most extreme anywhere on Earth, underscoring the harsh winter conditions that Americans may face as the holiday season approaches.
