The first Arctic storm of 2025 is upon us. Over 250 million people in 40 U.S. states will be impacted by “round after round after round of Arctic air” and “extensive swaths of snow and ice” starting tomorrow, according to an AccuWeather report. While frigid weather isn’t unusual for this time of year, the severity of this Arctic outbreak has meteorologists concerned about the “risk of freeze-related damage” in the Central Plains and Eastern regions, where temperatures are expected to dip below normal for several days straight.
“The combination of lingering neutral sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific, warm water in the northern Pacific and an atmospheric traffic jam will induce multiple rounds of Arctic air east of the Rockies,” explained AccuWeather long-range meteorologist Alex Duffus. “The pattern creates a persistent southward lunge in the jet stream in eastern North America to allow the frigid air to empty out of the Arctic and into the central and eastern U.S.”
Meteorologists forecast three Arctic outbreaks over the next 10 days, the first of which is expected to creep in tomorrow. This wind storm will bring below-freezing temperatures, freezing rain, and, in some regions, several inches of snow.
RELATED: This Winter Will Be Full of “Rapid-Fire Storms,” Farmers’ Almanac Predicts.
The first Arctic blast will hit Friday and Saturday.
This weekend’s forecast calls for fleece-lined layers, heated blankets, and fuzzy socks. Starting tomorrow, Jan. 3, a major gust of Arctic wind is expected to infiltrate the eastern half of the country, with temperatures in some areas dipping below zero.
“We’re going to be stuck in a cooler pattern,” National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Zachary Yack told NBC News. “It will definitely go into the middle and early part of next week.”
Nearly 40 states will clock below-normal temperatures over the next few days, with the potential of heavy snow, too. The Upper Midwest region will experience a drastic drop in temperatures between now and Saturday; Minneapolis will jump from 20 degrees to 12 degrees, while Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois will face single-digit temperatures. Meanwhile, North Dakota may get as cold as -25 degrees by Saturday, says CNN.
A harsh wind chill will make otherwise normal winter temperatures intolerable. “Temperatures will be five to 20 degrees colder than normal for much of the central and eastern U.S. this weekend, including the Gulf Coast states,” reports CNN. Even folks in the southeast, including Atlanta, could wake up to temperatures in the teens on Saturday.
“You could have wind chills below zero. That could lead to frostbite in short periods of time,” added Yack.
And these below-average temperatures are likely to hit even the most southern states.
“The coldest air of the season to date and dangerous wind chills are likely across many areas of the Southeast,” wrote the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center in a long-term forecast. “Below freezing temperatures are possible as far south as the Gulf Coast and much of the Florida Peninsula. Impacts to highly sensitive citrus crops are possible.”
RELATED: Meteorologists Are Predicting a “Snow Drought” This Winter—Is Your Region Affected?
Forecasters predict “heavy snow” and “significant icing” in some regions.
A crazy winter storm is expected to make landfall in the Central Plains on Saturday and extend eastward to the Mid-Atlantic, with “hazardous” conditions lasting through Monday, according to a Jan. 2 NWS report.
The Central Plains and Mississippi Valley are predicted to receive at least six inches of snow. Meanwhile, folks in eastern Kansas, Tennessee, lower Ohio valleys, and southern Appalachians are in store for “potentially significant sleet and freezing rain.”
Next week will be even colder.
This week’s Arctic weather will set the stage for bone-chilling temperatures come Monday and Tuesday of next week. A report from CNN predicts “frigid” temperatures “anywhere from 10 to more than 30 degrees below normal.” The Central Plains and Southeast regions will face the brunt of it, with overnight lows slipping below freezing.
The second Arctic outbreak is expected to occur on Jan. 7 and 8, followed by a third outburst on Jan. 11 and 12. “This could end up being the coldest January since 2011 for the U.S. as a whole,” said AccuWeather lead long-range expert Paul Pastelok in an online forecast.
Weather experts are urging folks to stay warm indoors this weekend and well into next week to prevent hypothermia and frostbite.