Polar vortex 2025: Extremely cold temperatures heading to the eastern US

Several rounds of cold, arctic air could sweep across the eastern half of the United States in the coming weeks, ushering in an unseasonably cold start to 2025.

The first blast of bitter cold will hit the Northern Plains and Midwest Wednesday and Thursday, then reach the Northeast late this week.

That wave of arctic air is likely to be the start of several back-to-back cold blasts lasting most of January, unleashing freezing temperatures across a large swath of the country.

Starting next week, the polar vortex is likely to unleash even colder air over the eastern half of the United States

The polar vortex lives in the upper atmosphere and is located near the North Pole in the Arctic region. When the polar vortex is strong, it locks the cold air into the Arctic region. When the polar vortex weakens or breaks up, it releases cold air to the south.

Temperatures will likely be below average for most of January for the eastern half of the United States, especially the East Coast.

It’s too early to know exactly how cold it will be, but there could be freezing temperatures for millions.

With the increase in cold temperatures, odds favor more precipitation falling as snow rather than rain in many places.

A large, fast-moving storm could bring snow to parts of the Midwest and severe thunderstorms to the south early next week. Some of that snow may also reach the mid-Atlantic.