A large swath of the nation is in the midst of a cold and snowy weather pattern that will continue through the weekend ahead. Below we look at five things to know about the shivering weather conditions we are seeing.
(MORE: The 5 Traits of Arctic Cold Fronts)
1. Some Cities Could See the Coldest December Temps in Years
Two rounds of arctic air will sweep into the nation's northern tier this week into the weekend.
Two rounds of bitter cold temperatures will sweep through the central and eastern states into this weekend. For many areas, those two blasts of arctic air will be even colder than last week's.
Some cities could see their coldest December temperatures in several years during the first shot of arctic air sweeping from the Midwest to the Northeast through Friday. Chicago has a chance to see its first subzero temperature in December since 2013, while Pittsburgh may record its first December single-digit low since 2009.
The second plunge of arctic air this weekend may be even colder in parts of the Plains and upper Midwest. Minneapolis could even see lows approach minus 20 degrees, which hasn't happened in December since 1996.
(MORE DETAILS: Back-to-Back Arctic Blasts)
2. Snow Cover Will Grow Deeper
Snowfall Outlook Through Sunday
Another round of lake-effect snow will result in localized accumulations exceeding a foot downwind of the Great Lakes snowbelts Wednesday into Thursday.
(MORE DETAILS: Multi-Day Siege of Lake-Effect Snow)
Then, Winter Storm Decima coming from out of the western states will leave a swath of accumulating snow through the northern Plains, upper Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes and parts of the Northeast late this week into the weekend.
(MORE DETAILS: Another Cross-Country Snowstorm)
This is similar to what we saw last week when locally more than three feet of lake-effect snow accumulated downwind of Lake Erie in southwest New York. It was then followed by Winter Storm Caly, which brought more than six inches of snow to many states in the Midwest and interior Northeast.
3. Florida Will Be the Envy of Many This Weekend
Forecast Highs Compared to Average Sunday
High temperatures Saturday and into early next week are forecast to be 10 to 15 degrees above average, at times, in the Florida peninsula. That means afternoon readings could soar into the low to mid-80s in Orlando, Tampa and Miami.
(FORECAST: Miami | Orlando | Tampa)
Those taking a flight from Minneapolis to Orlando this weekend may consider making a wardrobe change mid-flight. They could see an 80- to 90-degree swing in temperatures along the way.
4.) The Cold May Not Last Next Week
There are signs in the large-scale weather pattern that in the days leading up to Christmas weekend the worst of the arctic cold will be gone from the Lower 48.The latest 8-14 day temperature outlook, valid Dec. 20-26, from NOAA shows that the greatest odds for below-average temperatures during that period will be in the western states. Parts of the northern Plains, northern Great Lakes and the eastern states have the highest probability of above-average temperatures. Much of the nation's midsection has equal changes of above-, below- or near-average temperatures.
Given how far this forecast is out in time, there is uncertainty in the details, but it does appear some changes could be on the way next week.
5.) It's A Lot Different Than Last Year
Twenty-nine
states, shaded in red, set their record warmest December in 2015.
States shaded in orange were warmer than average, according to
NOAA/NCEI.(MORE: Record Warm December in 2015)
Every state east of the Rockies was warmer than average, and a majority of those states saw their warmest December on record.
Chicago saw a high of 53 degrees last Dec. 16, but won't rise out of single digits on that day this year (Thursday). Pittsburgh, which was 59 degrees on Dec. 17, 2015, will only see its high climb into the low 20s exactly one year later this coming Friday.
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