A stretched polar vortex, fueled by warm Arctic waters, is set to unleash a devastating winter storm across the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. starting Friday, bringing subzero temperatures, heavy snow, and crippling ice to approximately 230 million people, with conditions expected to last through early February.
Meteorologists warn that a unique combination of warm Arctic waters and cold continental land is elongating the polar vortex, a normally contained patch of cold air, sending a 'devastating dose' of winter weather across much of the United States. This severe storm, expected to hit starting Friday, will bring swaths of painful subzero temperatures, heavy snow, and powerline-toppling ice to the eastern two-thirds of the nation, stretching from New Mexico to New England and across the Deep South. About 230 million people face temperatures of 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-7 degrees Celsius) or colder, and around 150 million are likely to be hit by snow and ice. Experts, including former NOAA chief scientist Ryan Maue, caution that the public may be 'underestimating just how bad it’s going to be,' comparing potential damage to that of a major hurricane. The frigid conditions are linked to a warming Arctic and are projected to persist through the rest of January and into early February, meaning accumulated snow and ice will take a long time to melt. The bone-chilling temperatures, originating from an ice-free Arctic and snow-buried Siberia, will combine with moisture from California and the Gulf of Mexico to create crippling ice and snow.
