A major Arctic outbreak is set to sweep across much of the United States, bringing bone-chilling temperatures well below average. This cold snap will plunge temperatures 20 to 40 degrees lower than usual, starting this Sunday and lasting throughout the week.
The frigid air will make its presence felt from the Midwest to the East Coast, with cities like Minneapolis bracing for extreme lows of minus 3 to minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit early in the week. The cold blast will stretch as far south as Dallas, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C., where temperatures will dip into the low 20s and 30s. Meanwhile, New York could experience lows in the single digits, bringing some of the coldest weather of the winter so far.
For many in the Rockies and the upper Midwest, the wind chill will be an added challenge, feeling like 30 to 40 degrees below zero. This extreme cold is expected to bring not only a shift in temperatures but also a variety of weather conditions across different regions.
The Southeast will see rain from this cold front, while the Northeast could be blanketed by snow. By Saturday, snow will begin to fall in parts of the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and Northeast. On the same day, the Southeast, including the Florida Panhandle and the Carolinas, will experience heavy rain, contributing to soggy conditions.
As the storm progresses, snow will shift from the Mid-Atlantic into New England, with light to moderate snow expected to impact cities like Washington, D.C., to Boston on Sunday. These areas could see between 2 to 5 inches of snow, with some regions possibly receiving more than 6 inches as the system intensifies.
On Monday, the presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., is expected to be one of the coldest on record. Temperatures could plunge to a frigid 20 degrees, with gusty winds making it feel closer to 5 to 10 degrees, setting the stage for a memorable, albeit chilly, event.
The coldest Inauguration Day on record occurred in 1985 when President Ronald Reagan was sworn in for his second term. That year, temperatures dipped to a frigid 7 degrees, marking the lowest temperature ever recorded during an inauguration.
As this Arctic blast continues to spread across the U.S., it will serve as a stark reminder of the unpredictable and harsh nature of winter weather, urging residents to prepare for extreme cold and varying conditions.
