What Massachusetts Can Expect from the Upcoming Polar Vortex
A massive polar vortex will sweep across the eastern United States next week, which will impact Massachusetts.
From January 3 through January 14, freezing arctic air will push south, bringing snow and breaking temperature records. Weather experts are bracing for potentially historic temperatures.
“This could end up being the coldest January since 2011 for the U.S. as a whole,” said AccuWeather’s lead long-range expert Paul Pastelok. DaSilva points to three separate cold waves; the first hits January 3-4, and two more waves follow on January 7-8 and January 11-12, with each getting colder than the one before.
In Massachusetts, temperatures will drop to freezing lows between 0-10°F from January 8-10. This cold spell comes from shifting polar air that broke away from its normal arctic position. Boston might get hit with a big snowstorm, though exact amounts aren’t yet known.
Meanwhile, lake-effect snow could dump up to three feet of snow on New York. The freezing air might even reach deep into southeastern states by mid-month, catching residents off guard who aren’t used to severe winter weather.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center backs up predictions of the coming freeze across the East. The pattern looks similar to previous winter events that caused widespread problems.
The National Weather Service asks people to get ready for long-lasting freezing weather. Emergency officials say to check heating systems now and get needed supplies. Many cities and towns are getting emergency shelters ready, while power companies have crews standing by, expecting possible outages.
Weather experts are watching the system move down from Canada and will share updates about snow amounts and temperature drops as the cold front moves through each state.
