Freezing temperatures will increase risk of frostbite in northern United States

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Temperatures in the Midwest, Plains, and Western Mountains will vary 20 to 40 degrees below normal over the next five to seven days. Factor in wind gusts of 20-30 mph, and there will be potentially fatal wind chills as low as 50 degrees below zero.

“Wind chills as low as -50 degrees could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes,” said the National Office of the Weather Service in Bismarck, North Dakota. “Frostbite and hypothermia are likely if proper precautions are not taken outdoors.”

More than 25 million people are subject to wind chill advisories and warnings from Montana to Michigan.

When there is no wind, bodies radiate heat, creating a protective heat layer against the cold. However, when it is windy, this moving air breaks this insulating heat layer, which accelerates heat loss and allows hypothermia to set in more quickly.

The NWS office in Bismarck said: “An extended period of life-threatening wind chills is expected” this weekend and could last for much of next week.

Stack on the covers

Colder air will begin to flow through the upper Midwest on Saturday. At least half a dozen states will experience sub-zero temperatures on Saturday morning. Even high temperatures are expected to be 25 to 30 degrees below normal in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and the Dakotas.

From there, the cold air will spread south and east.

“Another strengthening cold front will pass through the area Sunday morning,” the National Weather Service Office in Cleveland said. “Temperatures will be the coldest so far this season this weekend early next week with below-average temperatures persisting through next week.”

More than 43 million people across the contiguous United States are expected to see sub-zero temperatures over the next seven days.

From Sunday to Thursday, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Detroit will see high temperatures 15 to 20 degrees below normal, keeping them below freezing for almost a full week.

Starting this weekend, Chicago, Kansas City, Missouri and Des Moines, Iowa will experience temperatures 20 to 30 degrees below normal, mostly keeping them below the 20 degree mark.

It’s not just the Midwest that will experience this deep freeze. Southern states like Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi will also be 15 to 30 degrees below normal on Tuesday and Wednesday.

See how quickly the temperatures drop where you are

‘It can’t be too cold to snow’

“While it can be too hot for snow, it can’t be too cold for snow,” according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center website. “Snow can occur even at incredibly low temperatures as long as there is a source of moisture and a way to lift or cool the air. It is true, however, that most heavy snowfall occurs. occur when there is relatively warm air near the ground – typically -9 degrees C (15 degrees F) or higher – because warmer air can hold more water vapor. “

Despite the freezing cold, there is also a chance for snow showers in parts of Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, where 2 to 4 inches are likely through Sunday.

A low pressure system that will develop off the Carolinas will slide on the east coast on Sunday. The proximity of the system to the New England coast will determine whether many cities in the Northeast receive rain or snow.

“The system will intensify as it follows the east coast and has the potential to bring another significant snow cover across the mid-Atlantic and parts of the northeast,” said Dave Hennen, a CNN meteorologist. “There is currently a lot of uncertainty as to where / who will receive the most snow and whether major metropolitan areas in the Northeast will be affected.”

CNN’s Haley Brink contributed to this report.

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