- Frigid temperatures could drop 20 to 40 degrees below average across the Midwest and East Coast.
- Over 105 million people are expected to experience single-digit or below-zero temperatures.
- Two clipper storms are bringing the first snowfall of season to the Plains, Midwest and Northeast.
- Utah is possibly facing its warmest December on record, with 60-degree temperatures this week.
This weekend will bring frigid temperatures for some areas of the country, while other cities will see their first measurable snowfall of the season.
As other parts of the country face snow and freezing temperatures, Utah is on track to have one of its warmest Decembers on record.
Frigid temperatures travel down from northern Canada
According to The Washington Post, frigid temperatures dropping 20 to 40 degrees below average are forecast across the Midwest and parts of the East Coast this weekend.
The freezing temperatures are expected to break some records as they last into next week.
On Sunday morning, temperatures in the Upper Midwest are expected to drop as low as the minus-20s as an icy air mass travels down from Canada’s Yukon territory.
Around 105 million people are predicted to experience single-digit or below-zero temperatures into early next week, per The Washington Post.
This frigid air will be uncomfortable and can be potentially dangerous for people across the northern Plains to the Midwest. The temperatures are not quite as extreme as they may be in Canada.
These upcoming blasts of cold have been driven by a weakening or displacement of the polar vortex, per AccuWeather.
The dense arctic air will hover in the lowest part of the atmosphere and could struggle to climb over the Appalachians.
According to AccuWeather, this brutally cold air will only stick around briefly, with the worst cold only lasting one or two days at most.
Next week, the weather is expected to shift, but it could take some time for the cold air to fully retreat.
2 clipper storms bring first measurable snowfall of the season for some cities
This weekend, two clipper storms are set to bring snow into the Plains, Midwest and Northeast. Major cities such as New York City and Philadelphia could see their first measurable snow of the season.
Across the Midwest and Northeast, snow totals of 1-3 inches are expected, with the possibility of totals up to 8 inches in some places, per The Weather Channel.
The storms will move from the northern part of the Plains through the mid-Atlantic and then off the mid-Atlantic coast throughout the weekend.
The heaviest snowfall is expected to fall on areas of Montana, with expected totals of 6-12 inches. In mountainous areas, there could be snow accumulation of 12-24 inches, per AccuWeather.
A quick hit of snow could land in the central Appalachians and southern Virginia on Friday.
As the rest of the country freezes, Utah faces what could be its warmest December on record
As the eastern part of the country faces snow and frigid weather, the weather in Utah has been warm — for December.
On Thursday, temperatures across the Wasatch Front reached the 60s, adding to an already unseasonably warm December, per Fox 13.
Utah is currently on track to see one of its warmest Decembers on record.
In Salt Lake City the average temperature of the first 11 days of December has been 42 degrees, overtaking the second-warmest month recorded in 1917, according to Fox 13.
The first half of December is typically the warmest part of the month, with temperatures tending to drop closer to Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Mild temperatures are expected to remain through the middle of next week and should stay above average leading into Christmas.