January 2017 will start off unusually cold across the entire lower 48 states,Canada in an unusually expansive and intense cold snap. The frigid weather, with possibly as many as 15 states seeing below-zero Fahrenheit temperatures at times, will start in the Pacific Northwest, northern Plains and Upper Midwest, and then creep eastward like a slow motion weather train wreck.
Temperatures will be 10 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit below average for this time of year starting around Jan. 5, with the hardest hit states — North Dakota, Minnesota and Montana — possibly seeing temperatures staying below zero for multiple days next weekend.
SEE ALSO: A guide to Trump's alarming cabinet full of climate deniersThe core of the Arctic air will stay locked in across the northern Rockies, Pacific Northwest and Midwest, where temperatures will barely rise above zero for the daytime high in Chicago, Minneapolis, Des Moines and Billings, Montana.
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Typical cold spots, such as International Falls, Minnesota and Yellowstone National Park in Montana could see low temperatures bottom out near minus-20 degrees Fahrenheit overnight on Jan. 6 or 7.
The cold will sweep south and east late in the week, reaching the Gulf Coast and big cities along the eastern seaboard in time for the first full weekend of the year. The only exception to the cold weather — and your best shot at a warm weather vacation spot for the week — is Florida.
Temperatures have been running well above average for the winter so far, and that doesn't look likely to change anytime soon.
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable The geographic scope of this cold outbreak, along with its severity are both noteworthy.
According to a climate outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a huge swath of the country has a 90 percent probability for below-average temperatures during the next 6-to-10 days.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Brian Brettschneider, a climatologist at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, said in a tweet that this is the largest area in the 15-year history of this outlook.
The widespread dark blue shading on the map shows that forecasters have high confidence of below average temperatures for much of the lower 48 states. (It doesn't indicate exactly how cold temperatures will be when compared to average.)
Several storm systems will accompany this cold air outbreak, dumping snows on the Pacific Northwest and mountains of northern California, delivering more snow to skiers in parts of the Rockies, and potentially spawning a winter storm along the East Coast on Jan. 6 and 7.
The cause of the cold air is a large buckling of the jet stream that is directing Arctic air southward out of Siberia and northern Canada, in response to upper level winds in both the North Pacific Ocean and the North Atlantic.
Keeping Hope Alive
41 times Stephen King's dog Molly was the most evil beast on the internet
President Trump admits his executive order is a ban and somewhere, his lawyers are crying
Look at how these journalists have aged since they started covering Trump
Shop the Shark FlexStyle for 20% off at Amazon
This guy quit his job to become a full
Americans don't trust social media companies to handle misinformation
Lyft pledges to go all
Best soundbar deal: Save $300 on the Sonos Arc
Twitter's audio tweets reveal a bigger accessibility problem
Best Apple deal: Save $60 on the Apple Watch SE
TikTok clone Zynn has been kicked out of Apple's App Store
Facebook drops, YouTube rises as a source of U.S. news
Anarchist pigeon DGAF about human signage
Waymo data shows humans are terrible drivers compared to AI
MIT unveils wearable guides for the visually impaired
Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner's latest Twitter exchange may be the sweetest yet
Ariana Grande comforts Manchester high school choir singer during emotional performance
How to Easily Make iPhone Ringtones Using Only iTunes
Twitter's audio tweets reveal a bigger accessibility problem
Arundhati Roy on 'Walking with the Comrades' by Anderson TepperStaff Picks: Food Rules, the American Dream by The Paris ReviewStaff Picks: ‘The Doll,’ Minaudières by The Paris ReviewMore From Our Southern Editor: House of Horrors by Lorin SteinReading in Bed with James Franco by The Paris Review8 Karens and Kens who threw huge tantrums instead of putting on masksThe 27 Guy Fieriest Guy Fieri tweets of 2020, so farThe Desert’s Daughters by Jenna Wortham'The Other Two' Season 3 review: The funniest show on TV returnsStaff Picks: ‘The Doll,’ Minaudières by The Paris Review'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for May 3Congratulations to Jesmyn Ward by The Paris ReviewThe Winter Issue: Naughty and Nice by The Paris ReviewArundhati Roy on 'Walking with the Comrades' by Anderson TepperUmberto Eco on ‘The Prague Cemetery’ by Andrew Martin22 tweets for people who are sick and tired of Zoom callsSacha Baron Cohen trolled a rightLove Stories by Phoebe ConnellyThe 2023 Met Gala: Theme, time and guest detailsAbstracts by Scott Treleaven Judge tosses out another climate suit in NYC. What comes next? Best Apple deal: Get the black Apple Magic Mouse for 24% off at Amazon How to reset iPhone This fossilized baby snake is the first of its kind to be discovered Best Apple deal: The Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) are under $140 today only at Target How to change or remove the band on your Apple Watch 'Fallout' gives a major 'New Vegas' hint in the finale Jinkx Monsoon on trans visibility, Patti LaBelle's Virgo energy, and crushing on Corbin Bleu Biden imposes restrictions on US investment in China’s sensitive tech industry · TechNode Researchers map the koala genome in the name of saving the species Air pollution is increasing in parts of the U.S. because of wildfires A wolf left its irradiated Chernobyl home. What happens if it mates? TSMC to eat costs of defective 3nm chips under new agreement with Apple · TechNode Learn about the O.J. Simpson trial from CNN's ancient '90s website Major Ant Group investors exit Chinese fintech giant’s share buyback plan · TechNode NYT Connections hints and answers for June 7: Tips to solve 'Connections' #727. Li Auto launches cheaper Pro version of L9 crossover · TechNode Lyrid meteor shower in 2024: How to see it despite the bright moon China releases draft regulations on facial recognition technology · TechNode Best Bluetooth tracker deal: Anker SmartTrack Card 43% off at Amazon