Map shows coldest polar vortex this winter threatening up to 58,000,000 people

The tenth and coldest polar vortex of the season is blasting across the US this week. More than 58million Americans are under National Weather Service cold warnings from the US-Canada border to as far south as Texas. The Arctic air is forecast to cause temperatures to dip 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit below average for this time in the winter, according to FOX Weather. Worst hit will be the north-central region, with windchills expected to drop as low as minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit in areas of the Dakotas, Minnesota and Montana. Frostbite could occur within five to 30 minutes under such conditions.

On Tuesday, the 48 contiguous US states are expected to experience an average low of 16.6 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 8.6 Celsius) and that may fall to 14 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 10 Celsius) by Wednesday, according to Ryan Maue, a former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief scientist. ‘Everything, all the stars align, all the wind directions in the atmosphere are dragging the cold polar air out of the Canadian Arctic,’ said Maue.

‘It’s the depths of winter. Everything signals extreme biting, winter cold. Obviously this isn’t the first polar vortex episode of the winter, but it looks to be the most severe.’. Every state except California, Florida and Hawaii has a high chance of windchills of 20 degrees Fahrenheit or below next week, per the National Weather Service. A polar vortex of Arctic air extends from the top of the world south typically two or three times per winter, according to Atmospheric and Environmental Research seasonal forecast director Judah Cohen.

This polar vortex, which could even impact Europe, isn’t expected to just come and go. A deep freeze could extend through the end of February in the US. A nor’easter storm from Ohio Valley to the mid-Atlantic and possibly reaching Maryland and Delaware could bring up to a foot of snow. It appears it will spare New York City. This season has been the coldest in recent memory, with places that usually experience mild winters like New Orleans receiving record snowfall. Meanwhile, Southern California last month was charred by what were among the most destructive wildfires in its history.

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