Arctic blast to grip the northern tier of US with the coldest air of the season

By Brandon Buckingham, AccuWeather Meteorologist

WINTER WEATHER Updated Feb. 11, 2020 8:05 PM

In the wake of a disruptive winter storm expected to track across portions of the Plains and Midwest, a powerful Arctic front will surge southward from Canada, ushering in the coldest air of the season for some.

So far this winter, most people across the northern Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes have been able to save a few extra dollars on heating costs thanks to the mild weather, but the upcoming forecast will have some heaters working overtime later this week.

Early Wednesday morning, the Arctic air will blast south of the Canadian border into the Plains. Places like Grand Forks and Fargo, North Dakota, could have the mercury drop as much as 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit in a matter of hours.

Along with the massive drop in temperatures, snow showers and a strong north wind could produce blizzard conditions across the northern Plains Wednesday.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

As the cold air mass continues to surge southward, it will join forces with a separate storm system Wednesday night in the Midwest, helping to inject a fresh shot of cold air on the back side.

The combination of these two atmospheric disturbances is expected to bring another round of accumulating snow to places like Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland. As snow continues to fall Thursday morning, school closures and travel delays are possible in those areas.

As the storm slides eastward into the day on Thursday, accumulating snow is expected to track across the interior Northeast.

Meanwhile, back in the Midwest, the bitterly cold weather will encompass the entire region Thursday. Places like Minneapolis, Des Moines, Iowa; Chicago and Omaha, Nebraska, will likely feel the coldest air of the season so far.

Subzero temperatures combined with a brisk north wind will send AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures plummeting to dangerously cold levels Thursday morning.

Portions of the Dakotas and Minnesota may not have thermometers climb above zero degrees Thursday afternoon.

The Arctic air mass is expected to filter into the Northeast and mid-Atlantic by Friday. While the coldest air will remain in place across the interior, many locales along the Atlantic coast can expect a big drop in temperatures as well.

"For many areas around the Midwest and Northeast, this air mass will surpass the lowest temperatures of the winter so far by an average of 5 to 15 degrees, even though the mainly unfrozen waters of the Great Lakes will modify the air slightly," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

"The mild conditions have created soft bud conditions, which a blast of severe cold like that anticipated late this week can kill some of the buds and lead to damage in vineyards and orchards," he added.

RELATED:

4 children found alive in remote part of Alaska after being stranded by blizzard for 27 hoursRecord 209-mph wind gust whipped Northern California … not so fastStorm to hammer portions of the northern US with blizzardlike conditions

While it will feel like spring across the Interstate 95 corridor Thursday, with temperatures challenging records in some locations, it will be a distant memory by Friday as temperatures will fall 15-25 degrees.

Places like Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and even Virginia Beach can expect high temperatures to drop some 20-30 degrees Thursday to Friday.

For those heading out on Valentine's Day across the Northeast and East Coast, an extra warm layer of clothing may be needed.

Luckily, the chilly conditions will likely be the only forecast concern across the Midwest, Northeast and mid-Atlantic this Friday for Valentine's Day. Aside from a stray snow shower along the shores of the Great Lakes, high pressure across the regions will keep most places free of precipitation.

Because of the relatively mild winter so far across the Great Lakes region, ice cover across the big lakes is running well below seasonal averages. As the cold air filters over the region late week and this weekend, ice coverage may increase two-fold in a matter of days.

Even if the ice cover doubled after this cold shot, coverage would still be below the seasonal average for mid-February.

The cold blast of air will be fairly short-lived, as temperatures are expected to increase across the Plains and Midwest by Saturday. Across the Northeast and East Coast, a similar scenario is expected to occur on Sunday.

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.