Arctic Blast Set to Hit Central and Eastern US Just Before Christmas

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.