The first half of January have been unusually mild for most of the United States as temperatures have been five to ten degrees higher than normal with some places seeing twenty to thirty degree above average temps. Well that is about to change as warm temperatures are departing and much colder weather is on its way in.
A cold front moving in from Canada will make move down into the country by the weekend so people should enjoy the above-normal temperatures while they can. By the beginning of the work week Monday, Americans will have to dig out those long johns, hats and scarves again as the temperatures are going to be frigid. It will be especially cold near the border to Canada by Sunday as the high temperatures may not reach above single digits.
A bit further south, it won’t be quite so brutal but it will be cooler. Many cities such as Kansas City and Pittsburgh have been enjoying unusually warm weather with highs in the 50s and low 60s but when the cold front moves in, those temps will drop by about 20 degrees.
In the Midwest and around the Great Lakes in particular, there will be some lake effect snow over the weekend but nothing more than a few inches. What will be more noticeable than a new layer of snow is the wickedly cold air. Monday’s high in Michigan’s upper peninsula will hover around 9 degrees above zero while further downstate temperatures will be about 23 degrees.
The Twin Cities in Minnesota will be very cold next week with high temperatures climbing no more than -8 degrees. North and South Dakota, eastern Nebraska and Montana will be bitterly cold with highs anywhere from -11 to -19. Those types of temperatures are dangerous as frostbite can occur in just a few minutes so residents in that part of the country are being warned to bundle up good and not to be outside for long with exposed skin.
Frigid cold temperatures are challenging to homeowners as pipes can easily freeze up when the mercury dips. And, if a pipe were to freeze and break inside a home when no one is there, it can result in a devastating home flood. This is a good time to remind people to insulate exposed pipes in their homes and especially those running along outside walls. It’s also wise to let a small stream of water run from faucets when it’s very cold outside as doing so will stop water pipes from freezing.
Tips for survival provided by the CDC can be found online here.
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