Polar Vortex Weather Forecast: Which Regions Of US Will Face The Brutal Arctic Blast Next Week?

Key Highlights

• This shape prevents the extreme cold from bunching up in one spot and instead spreads it over a wider region, setting the stage for extended spells of bitter weather rather than quick hits. Which regions of US will be impacted?Right now, this stretched configuration is keeping the deepest cold locked in over much of North America.
• The eastern two-thirds of the Lower 48 states are in line for prolonged low temperatures that could linger through the rest of January.
• Forecasters point out that the pattern is different from a classic breakdown, the elongation disperses the chill broadly, making it harder for things to warm up quickly. Read more: Snow Storm Weather Hits the South: Could Florida Witness Snowfall This Weekend?Looking further out, models suggest the two main parts of the vortex might start coming back together, potentially beefing up the whole system again.
• If the core shifts decisively toward Canada, it could open a straight pipeline for even more frigid air to rush southward into the United States.
• The first signs of this next push are expected to build across Canada late next week, then drive south as the calendar flips to the final days of January.