A 'bitter' blast of cold Arctic air is set to bring dangerously frigid temperatures to large parts of North America, forecasters have warned. In Canada, Environment Canada has issued an extreme cold warning for Alberta, where Calgary could see temperatures plummet to -37C on Friday, with a daytime high of -31C. This would mark the coldest January day in two decades for the city. Strong winds over the weekend could make temperatures feel as low as -50C, with experts warning that exposed skin can succumb to frostbite in less than a minute.
The cold front is expected to push from the Rockies towards the northern US plains on Thursday night before advancing south, according to the National Weather Service. Daily cold records are likely to tumble in several places. In Texas and the south-east, 'dangerously cold wind chills' are expected, pushing temperatures below freezing. The weather service described the temperatures as 'brutal' compared to the relatively mild conditions experienced for much of the winter so far.
Most of the United States is expected to be affected. Chicago is forecast to drop below -23C for the first time since 2019, and Oklahoma City below -17.7C for the first time since February 2021. Wind chills in parts of the Rockies could reach -34.4C, posing a risk of hypothermia. Meanwhile, major snowstorms, sleet and rain are expected across the midwest and east coast, with up to 12 inches of snow in parts of Michigan and blizzard conditions in the Great Lakes region. River and coastal flooding are possible in the north-east due to storms and heavy rain.
The cold front marks a significant change for regions that have experienced a very mild winter with meagre snowfall and above-average temperatures. Last year was the fifth hottest on record in the US, while 2023 was the hottest globally by a large margin, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Climate researchers have theorised that such extreme cold blasts could be fuelled by global heating, as the Arctic warms four times faster than the rest of the planet, causing the polar vortex to become more 'wavy' and allowing freezing air to drop southwards, as happened during the deadly Texas cold snap in 2021.
