In past weeks, extremely warm temperatures or temperatures that were out of the average for the month of December were recorded in various parts of EE. UU.where records were around 16 C, 12 degrees above normal for the time of year.
But now, the thermal pattern is radically changing, registering marked drop in ambient temperature and it is expected that data that might register extremely cold during the next week, where the medium-term forecasts point to a drop in temperature. Right now, the models are forecasting one of the most extreme arctic injections ever from United States.
The coldest air mass on the planet at present, located over the region of Siberia in Russiawhere the surface temperatures in some places they are in the range of -48ºC a -59ºC, I might visit North America during the next week.
arctic air on the way
The european model It reflects a possible scenario where the air, of Siberian origin, might move to the north of the country for the next week. This situation will be triggered as a result of the formation of a deep and stable blocking anticyclone regarding Alaska that will force cold, dry air from Siberia to fly over the north pole and move toward Canada in the direction Texas.
Before travelling to see your friends & family, be sure to keep updated on the weather! Several potentially significant events are in the forecast during the holiday season, including two potential snowstorms and an Arctic air outbreak. See the graphic below for more details: pic.twitter.com/9JTO4yrGFk
— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) December 15, 2022
This is the same type of pattern that developed in December 1983, when americans suffered coldest Christmas temperatures ever. In Houston the minimum was around -11ºC and the maximums did not exceed two degrees below zero.
Although the injection of arctic air is one of the options being considered, different scenarios might develop as the Siberian air moves towards North America. If the current prediction comes true, historical data would be recorded and places like California they would suffer an advection of icy air once more following more than thirty years.
Snowy Christmas across much of the United States
Although we can’t say for sure how cold it will be, depending on the models, there is guaranteed to be at least a chance that there may be extreme cold and winter precipitation starting Thursday December 22.
Arctic cold air is expected to initially affect the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada, where temperatures will be much colder than normal. Most of those regions might face temperatures up to 30 degrees colder than normal, You can even register up to 60 degrees below the normal values of the time.
The Euro model, considered the most accurate weather model in the world, is forecasting one of the most extreme arctic blasts in US history late next week.
Temperatures are forecast to be up to 60 degrees below normal!
Luckily, there is less than a 10% chance this occurs. pic.twitter.com/fCSSQGhv18
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) December 14, 2022
To give us an idea of the immensity of the arctic intrusion, in the state of Texas, during the winter, temperatures rarely drop below -3 ºC and do not exceed 14 ºC. As well, As of next December 22, the maximum will barely touch 10 ºC and the minimum will be -3 ºC.
It is expected that the day 23, when the thermometers might mark -11 ºC at dawn and the maximum remain below zero, without exceeding -2 ºC. But not everything would stop there, the high point of this episode promises to arrive on Christmas Eve, when the mercury might mark nothing more and nothing less than -16 ºC minimum and -4 ºC maximum. That in areas of Texas, because in Bismarck might reach -35 ºC and in Minneapolis at -27ºC.
Americans get ready
There are still memories of the intense storms that plummeted last winter the thermometers. Specific, three great vortices shook the country, causing a great storm of ice and snow that covered a large part of the country, It did snow in states where it doesn’t happen that often.
The state of Texas suffered a massive power failure provoking that Millions of people will be left without electricity. In addition, the freezing temperatures, ice and snow isolated residents in their homes, preventing them from going to supermarkets, which also caused a lack of food and water.
In all likelihood, there will be an extreme blast of cold air as the polar vortex drops into the Lower 48, but climatology and recent trends tell us it will likely occur east of the Rockies.
California, for example, hasn’t had a true arctic blast since 1990. pic.twitter.com/SGCmsnrjhn
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) December 14, 2022
It all turned out fatally Hundreds of people died from the power outage.. In addition, the ruling dealt a major blow to the economy, with losses of at least 195 billion.
Since 2021, other unusual storms have hit the state but none have threatened the grid in quite the same way. But, according to the forecast, this might change next week. The good news is that during the episode, the extreme cold will only last for one to two nights, which might allow the power grid to continue to function. Even so, The population is already aware and it is expected that the prediction will be confirmed or not in the coming days.
