A coast-to-coast storm that brought violent tornadoes to the South and blizzard conditions to the northern Plains this week will be followed by a bitter blast of cold air that will plunge temperatures below zero in some spots of the nation through the weekend.
“A big ridge of high pressure is dropping in behind our coast-to-coast storm that’s really ruled the forecast for this entire week,” said FOX Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin. “That ridge of high pressure is going to allow some very cold, polar air to work its way into the country.”
Merwin said this temperature plunge would be very impactful because temperatures will be well below freezing, and the wind will bring a dangerous wind chill to many areas.
As we head into Thursday evening and Friday morning, the wind chill temperatures will drop below zero across the northern Plains and the Intermountain West. Those cold temperatures will stick around into next week.
On Monday morning, ambient temperatures will be below zero from Billings, Montana, through the Dakotas and into Minneapolis.
In Bismarck, North Dakota, a Monday morning low temperature of -18 is expected, and in Pierre, South Dakota, it will be nearly as cold, with a Monday morning low temperature of -11.
Winds will generally be light – generally 5-10 mph though a little stronger in Wyoming – but even so that will lead to some dangerous winds chills.
It will feel like -27 in Bismarck and -18 in Pierre. Billings will feel like it’s -15 when the wind blows.
Even as the days “warm up,” temperatures will struggle and likely fail to reach above zero in Bismarck for the first part of next week, and will barely reach into the single digits in Billings and Pierre.
“That means you take a breath in, and it hurts,” Merwin said. “Everything hurts in your lungs with that type of temperature. So you do have to alter the way that you start your day. It means that a lot of kids won’t be going outside. So, heads up. That’s what’s going to be coming your way.”
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Minneapolis will also likely only reach about 12 degrees, while Casper and Omaha will be in the 20s.
It will be a bit warmer in places like Salina, Kansas where a high temperature of 35 degrees is expected.
And for the millions of people living across that region, prepare for the cold temperatures to stick around through at least Wednesday.
It will stay in the single digits and teens from Casper through Pierre and into Minneapolis but will still be below zero in Billings and Bismarck.