The Polar Vortex Returns: Freezing Temps Headed For Most States

ACROSS AMERICA — Break out the woolen mittens and the long underwear, Americans — Mother Nature is about to bring the full wrath of winter down on most of the United States.

Consider this your warning — the polar vortex is coming. And with it, so are bitter and below-freezing temperatures for most of the country.

A blast of arctic air is expected to reach every U.S. state including Hawaii by Monday morning. According to at least one forecast, the freezing temperatures will affect nearly 235 million people.

The cause will be this dreaded polar vortex, a meteorological phenomenon that hasn’t hit the United States since 2019. A polar vortex is a large area of low pressure located near the poles, and at times during the winter months, the low pressure breaks down, sending south all that bottled-up cold air.

The result? Extremely frigid temperatures and huge plunges of cold air.

Here’s what you should know and how to prepare before this latest polar vortex arrives.

It Will Be Really, Really Cold

The worst of the cold will be in the Upper Midwest and northern Plains, where wind chill temperatures will plummet to as low as 40 degrees below zero in parts of the Dakotas this weekend.

Some places like Central Wisconsin could see temperatures plummet to minus 25 degrees on Sunday, with high temperatures struggling to make it to zero. In the Chicago area, low temperatures in some spots will be 10 degrees below or colder, while wind chills of 20 to 30 below or even colder will be possible Sunday night into Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures across the mid-Atlantic and Northeast will plummet through the day on Monday. Meanwhile, the cold air will continue to move south and east by early next week.

Some forecast models show places such as Atlanta reaching temperatures as low as 19 degrees, the coldest weather the city has experienced in three years.

But First, Snow

The polar vortex is sending a friend ahead of its weekend arrival.

The unwelcome addition to this winter weather party will come in the form of wet, sloppy snow predicted in states that just saw record snowfall earlier this week.

According to a recent AccuWeather forecast, an initial storm ahead of the cold air mass will move across Midwest states Thursday into Saturday. As that system moves off to the northeast, several meteorological ingredients may combine to create another, hard-hitting winter storm aimed at states on the East Coast.

Or, according to AccuWeather’s forecast, any possible secondary storm could also head out to sea without having a significant impact on states.

It’s too early to tell, meteorologists said.

What we do know for sure, according to AccuWeather senior meteorologist Rob Miller, is “for at least the next week, the weather looks pretty tumultuous in the eastern two-thirds of the United States.”

Be Prepared. Stay Inside

We get it — stay inside has been the mantra of the coronavirus pandemic. But in this case, you really might want to stay inside.

Next week’s cold will not only make it painful to be outdoors, it will also increase the risk of frostbite and hypothermia. Even with low wind speeds, frostbite can occur in less than 30 minutes if air temperatures fall below 5 degrees and wind chill temperatures dip to minus 16 degrees.

In north-central states, the air "will be dangerous for young children, the elderly and those with respiratory or cardiovascular issues," AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski told USA Today.

If you must go outside, here are the signs to watch for:

• At first, cold skin and a prickling feeling
• Numbness
• Red, white, bluish-white or grayish-yellow skin
• Hard or waxy-looking skin
• Clumsiness due to joint and muscle stiffness

Watch Those Pipes

Quick drops in temperature, poor insulation and thermostats set too low are all common causes of frozen pipes. As temperatures drop, it might be wise to start thinking about the prospect of this happening in your home.

Luckily, there are a number of preventative steps you can take to keep them from freezing.

Patch tackled this issue in November. Among the tips we compiled are keeping garage doors (on an attached garage) closed, cabinet doors open and your thermostat set to a constant temperature.

• How To Prevent Freezing Pipes In Your Home As Winter Nears

On Warming Up Your Car

Getting into a frigid car is rough. No one wants to do it. But is warming up your car before you leave actually good for your car?

Long story short, no. The long-held notion that you should let your car idle in the cold is only true for carbureted engines, according to the century-old publication Popular Mechanics. Contrary to popular belief, this doesn’t prolong the life of your engine. In fact, idling is hard on a modern engine, shortening its life by stripping oil away from the engine’s cylinders and pistons.

And here’s another issue: Is it even legal to let your car idle in your driveway?

Depends on where you live.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than two dozen states in addition to many cities and counties have laws that limit the amount of time a vehicle can idle.

A complete guide to idling measures in your state can be found at the American Transportation Research Institute.