Arctic Blast Brings Life-Threatening Cold to U.S.

An Arctic blast will envelop much of the U.S. with frigid temperatures starting Friday, potentially reaching as low as 10°F in the Northern Plains. The bitter cold, intensified by a polar vortex, poses hypothermia and frostbite risks across affected regions. Snow is also forecasted in several states.

Amenacing Arctic air is poised to blanket a large portion of the United States, plunging temperatures below freezing from Friday onward. Millions will experience the chill across almost all contiguous states.

Forecasts predict temperatures sinking below 10 degrees Fahrenheit in the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest and dropping to the teens in central regions. Southern areas could see mercury dip near 30 degrees, before the frigid front journeys to the East Coast by Monday, according to the National Weather Service. The Southern Plains may endure sub-zero wind chills starting Sunday night, per meteorologist Zack Taylor of the NWS Weather Prediction Center.

This early-season cold snap is fueled by a polar vortex, a jet stream that typically circles the Poles but sometimes ventures southward, inflicting cold snaps. The icy intrusion has prompted severe warnings from officials, cautioning against the life-threatening risks of hypothermia and frostbite. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump announced his inauguration would be held indoors due to the extreme cold forecast for Washington, D.C.

(With inputs from agencies.)