A dangerous blast of arctic air looms for the western U.S. next week while warmer-than-average temperatures will continue to dominate much of the East.
Springlike warmth set dozens of record highs across the eastern U.S. this past week, but a brief February reality check returns this weekend before being interrupted by yet another surge of warmth next week.
As a cold front moves off the East Coast on Friday, the warmer-than-average temperatures will be wiped away. Most of the central and eastern U.S. will see temperatures that are pretty typical of mid-February to start the weekend. One exception will be the southern Plains, where temperatures will be nearly 10 degrees below average.
SOLAR STORM SPEEDING TOWARD EARTH COULD AFFECT RADIO, GPS SIGNALS
Above-average temperatures will slowly creep back across the East heading into next week, but no record highs are expected to fall through at least Tuesday.
By Wednesday, however, record-challenging temperatures will begin building across the Southeast.
SEE THE MASSIVE ALLIGATOR FOUND LURKING IN A SOUTH FLORIDA SWAMP
Meanwhile, the West will be heading into a prolonged stretch of below-average temperatures with dangerously cold wind chills across the Northwest and the Rockies next week.
The arctic blast in the West will send temperatures tumbling that could threaten both record lows and record-cold highs beginning Wednesday. Frostbite and hypothermia will become a concern for anyone caught outdoors for a significant amount of time.
A winter storm is expected to accompany the blast of cold air, bringing widespread snow and rain from the West Coast to the Rockies.
Next week’s weather pattern will resemble the temperature divide the U.S. experienced this past week. Some locations in Florida could top 90 degrees later next week, while at the same time, wind chills might dip as low as -40 degrees in the Northwest.
Any record-high temperatures will likely be contained to the Southeast, but much of the nation’s eastern half will be warmer than average for this time of year. The anomalous warmth across the nation’s southern tier has caused a very early start for the spring leaves.
If this pattern continues to hold for the remainder of February, many cities across the East will end up with one of their warmest Februarys on record.
This sharp difference in temperature between the West and East will likely reach its peak Thursday when dozens of record highs could be threatened in the Southeast at the same time dozens of record-cold temperatures will engulf the Northwest and California.