Forecasters said the bitter cold weather endured by many over the weekend was likely to be relatively short-lived, dashing hopes for a white Christmas.
Winter storm hits, blanketing northeastern states in snow
Arctic air brings snow and single-digit temperatures to northeastern U.S. states
Is it cold enough for you?
Forecasters said the bitter cold that swept through the central and eastern United States last weekend will be relatively short-lived.
AccuWeather meteorologist Alyssa Glenny said in a Dec. 15 online forecast that “the bone-chilling cold will continue across much of the country, but the end is in sight.”
Monday, December 15th will be the last day of this frigid ‘polar vortex’, with temperatures returning to normal by Tuesday, December 16th.
Much milder air will then move in and could erode the snowpack in the week leading up to Christmas. In fact, maps released by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center show above-average temperatures will prevail across much of the lower 48 states by the end of next week.
The cold is not that strong
AccuWeather forecasters say the cold will become less severe in the Plains, Great Lakes and Northeast as the week progresses.
“The bitter cold in the Arctic will last only 36 to 48 hours in many regions,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pidinowski. “In Detroit, high temperatures are expected to reach near 20 degrees on Monday afternoon, but by Wednesday, highs will climb into the 40s and into the mid to upper 40s by Thursday,” he said.
The forecast predicts that the snow will melt in December.
The National Weather Service said the weather system in the western United States will bring temperatures 15 to 25 degrees above seasonal averages, spreading eastward to most areas with temperatures in the low 48s from midweek onwards, “causing the December snowmelt.”
The unusually warm weather could set or break several temperature records across the West, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
By Friday, Dec. 19, highs in the 60s will spread into western Nebraska and South Dakota, and by Saturday, Dec. 20, temperatures will reach the upper 70s to low 80s in many parts of Texas, according to the National Weather Service.
Where is the polar vortex?
Weather Trader meteorologist Ryan Maue says the polar vortex responsible for this cold snap will be on holiday for the next few weeks.
“The main ‘polar vortex’ has retreated into Canada and will only impact the minor polar vortex and the Arctic Circle over the next 10-14 days,” he said in an email to USA TODAY.
“But even if the polar vortex is (mostly) contained, there is still an opportunity for short one- or two-day mini-Arctic outbursts as part of these powerful storm systems,” Maue said.
Are you expecting a white Christmas? Please dream.
Given the relatively warm pattern ahead, AccuWeather said some areas may have limited snow accumulation, or at least a prolonged period of snow accumulation.
“If the weather warms later in the week, some parts of the Midwest away from the Great Lakes could see the current snowpack melt and not remain until Christmas Day, potentially dashing many hopes for a white Christmas,” Pydinowski said.
