An unrelenting winter in the East in 2025-2026 is poised to trigger the cruellest cold wave outbreak yet.
Snow squalls and strong winds hit Great Lakes and Northeast
AccuWeather is investigating the impact an arctic front will have on the region this weekend.
This year’s unrelenting winter in the East is shaping up to be the most severe cold wave outbreak ever.
“More than 100 million people in the northeast of the country are awaiting a bitterly cold weekend as arctic air moves straight south from eastern Canada,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said in an online forecast.
AccuWeather predicts temperatures will drop into the single digits or below freezing in much of the Northeast. According to Weather.com, dozens of days of record cold air will be at risk on Saturday, February 7th and Sunday, February 8th.
“This weekend could bring the coldest air of the winter to the Northeast and mid-Atlantic,” Washington Post meteorologist Ben Knoll told X.
Extreme cold and ‘dangerous’ wind chill expected
“A significant Arctic outbreak will bring frigid temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic this weekend (February 7-8),” NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center forecast said.
The coldest air temperatures, in the -30s, are expected across the interior Northeast and across New England. Frigid daytime temperatures will struggle to rise above the teens or single digits.
Possibility of damage from squalls caused by wind and snow
Strong winds that could exceed 80 mph could worsen widespread, dangerous subzero temperatures, as well as cause isolated tree damage and power outages, the Weather Prediction Center said. This will most likely occur in the southern and central Appalachians, mid-Atlantic, and interior Northeast.
The arrival of colder air on Friday, February 6th and Saturday, February 7th may bring short periods of heavy snow, including squalls and blizzards.
Safety in cold regions
These wind chills pose a life-threatening risk of hypothermia and frostbite on exposed skin. Here’s what NOAA suggests:
- If you travel, pack a cold weather survival kit.
- Limit your time outdoors and cover exposed skin when you are outdoors.
- Make sure your pets and livestock are well protected from the cold.
- Take steps to prevent pipes from freezing and avoid walking on frozen bodies of water where the ice thickness is uncertain.
Is it a polar vortex?
Yes, the leaves of the polar vortex in the lower layers of the atmosphere (known as the “tropospheric polar vortex”) are responsible for this intense cold, Weather Trader noted meteorologist Ryan Maue said in an email to USA TODAY.
Is there any relief along the way?
Somewhat milder, or at least less cold, air is moving east, but Weather.com predicts it could take until late next week to arrive. The Japan Meteorological Prediction Center announced, “This cold weather is expected to dissipate by the middle of next week and a warming trend will begin.”
