50 degrees below average: Dangerous cold and blizzards for the US

The season’s strongest winter storm will unfurl across the central US later this week, amidst a severe cold snap.

The US is facing a massive cold snap with arctic air diving in, bringing heavy snow, and blizzard conditions. Even in the Gulf of Mexico, temperatures will drop to around freezing with temperatures of -30C possible further north.

The icy air will continue to flow far south to the Gulf of Mexico in the coming days, with the cold wave reaching its peak on Friday 23rd. Even in Texas, Louisiana or New Mexico, the lows will be in the minus double-digits.

Responsible for this cold air advance is the interaction of a low pressure system rolling off the Pacific, with a high moving in from Canada to the west of the US. In between, arctic air is carried southward as the polar jet dives down.

The weather will get potentially dangerous on Thursday and Friday, as the low pressure system strengthens and spreads heavy snow to multiple regions, particularly to the Plains and Central Mississippi Valley.

With a second blast of arctic air diving southward in the system’s wake and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico streaming northward, wind-driven heavy snow producing blizzard conditions will be possible across the likes of the central Plains, Missouri Valley, and Midwest.

Whilst frigid air masses are common in the north in the wintertime, this one is extraordinary with temperatures as much as 40 to 50 degrees colder than average in some parts, with -40C having already been recorded before in December.