Arctic Blast Sends Central and Northeastern U.S. Into Record Cold

Arctic Blast Sends Central and Northeastern U.S. Into Record Cold

A surge of Arctic air swept across much of the central and eastern United States on Friday, producing sub‑freezing readings far below normal for early December and setting temperature records from Iowa and Michigan to New York.

Meteorologist Marc Chenard of the U.S. Weather Prediction Center said the unusually cold pattern resulted from a fluctuation in the polar vortex — the large clockwise circulation of polar air — which pulled frigid Canadian air into the northern tier of the country.

"Cold air is spilling into the central and eastern parts of the country, coming down from the Arctic," Chenard said.

The cold snap, with temperatures plunging as much as 20°F below average, began on Thursday and is expected to return in waves over the next week or two, making it the most widespread and intense cold spell of the season so far. The official start of winter is still more than two weeks away.

Where It Hit Hardest

The deep freeze stretched from the northern Plains through the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley into the mid‑Atlantic and New England. Forecasts also showed colder‑than‑normal — but generally above‑freezing — conditions pushing into parts of the Southeast.

More than a dozen locations across Iowa and sections of Wisconsin and Minnesota recorded new benchmark lows on Thursday. Spencer, Iowa, where temperatures have been tracked since 1895, plunged to an all‑time low of 19°F below zero, 10 degrees colder than its previous record set in 2005.

Detroit appeared to set a new record low of 5°F on Friday morning, one degree below the old mark. New York City area airports John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia both posted morning lows of 20°F, setting or tying records, and parts of upstate New York fell to an apparent new low near 22°F below zero.

Hazards and Forecast

Local forecasts in Indiana and Oklahoma warned of freezing fog — super‑cooled droplets that can freeze on contact and create hazardous black ice on roads. The National Weather Service also forecast snow for parts of the mid‑Atlantic, the Midwest and the Rockies through Saturday. A storm system crossing the northern Plains and Midwest could produce heavy snowfall at times.

Impacts: travel delays, slick roads, and frigid overnight lows for communities in the affected regions. Residents are urged to dress warmly, check local forecasts, and use caution when driving on bridges and untreated surfaces.

Reporting: Steve Gorman; Editing: David Gregorio