A new winter storm is brewing for the upcoming weekend, but the extent of the snow, ice and rain will depend on how it interacts with a blast of Arctic air. The impending chill, tied with a shift in the polar vortex, is due to arrive from Wednesday to Thursday in the central and northeastern United States, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
The cold air and potential winter storm follow a broad zone of accumulating snow from Monday to Tuesday in the Midwest and the Northeast.
The Arctic air is expected to deliver subzero temperatures to the northern part of the Plains and the Upper Midwest and by far the lowest temperatures of the season so far for much of the Central states and Northeast.
“This Arctic air outbreak can be attributed to a displacement of the polar vortex,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said. “The outbreak this week will be the first of probably three such rounds with it. Another cold blast is likely next week and a third the week after that. The waves of Arctic air will lead to significant surges in energy demands.”
