Millions in the US brace for freezing temperatures and snow as weakened polar vortex drives Arctic cold
Forecasters say temperatures in parts of the Midwest and East Coast will fall well below normal, with winter storm warnings issued in areas likely to see snowfall.
A person cleans a snow-covered sidewalk in Wheeling, Ill., Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Millions of people in the United States are expected to face freezing temperatures, snow and heavy rain this week as Arctic air moves south, The Independent reported.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has issued alerts for several states, including Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York and Washington DC.
A man clears the snow on a walkway during a cold weather day. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Forecasters say temperatures in parts of the Midwest and East Coast will fall well below normal, with winter storm warnings issued in areas likely to see snowfall. The WPC said in a statement, quoted by The Independent, that a warning was now in place for “portions of south-central Virginia (including the Richmond metro) for 3–5 inches of snowfall”. Surrounding areas in the Appalachians and the southern Mid-Atlantic could see up to two inches.
AccuWeather has linked the cold spell to a breakdown of the polar vortex, a low-pressure system that normally keeps cold Arctic air contained. When it weakens, freezing air spreads southwards. AccuWeather meteorologist Paul Pastelok said the vortex had been weakened since late November. “We are seeing the result as Arctic air pushes southward across the central and eastern US,” he said, adding that the pattern could continue for “the next couple of weeks”, as reported by The Independent.
A snow plow cleans on the snow-covered sidewalk. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Temperatures may drop to below zero Fahrenheit in some states, around 15 to 25 degrees lower than the seasonal average, according to AccuWeather. Pastelok said two or three further waves of intense cold were possible between 10 and 19 December, noting there was even a chance of frost “as far south as central Florida”.
High-elevation regions in the Cascades and Northern Rockies may see more than a foot of snow, USA Today reported. Meanwhile, the Pacific Northwest is expected to receive 6 to 12 inches of rain this week as an atmospheric river a narrow corridor of concentrated moisture moves inland.
The WPC warned on X that prolonged rainfall could cause flooding, with coastal areas likely to see up to six inches of rain and mountain regions possibly receiving up to 12 inches of snow or rain.
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A person cleans a snow-covered sidewalk in Wheeling, Ill., Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
