Nearly every region of the United States is bracing for extreme weather conditions this week. A combination of record-breaking heat, Arctic chill from the polar vortex, heavy snowfall, and flooding due to an atmospheric river are expected across the country.
Key Takeaways
The U.S. faces extreme weather this week, including record heat in the Southwest, Arctic chill from the polar vortex in the Midwest and East, heavy snowfall in the Great Lakes states, an atmospheric river causing flooding in Hawaii, and unusually cold temperatures in Alaska. The first day of spring is expected to bring some recovery.
- Record-breaking heat forecasted for Phoenix with temperatures up to 107°F (42°C)
- Polar vortex bringing subzero temperatures to the Midwest and single digits to Chicago
- Heavy snowfall of up to 4 feet (1.22 meters) expected in northern Great Lakes states, including a potential bomb cyclone
- Atmospheric river causing flash floods on Oahu, Hawaii
- Unusually cold temperatures about 30 degrees colder than usual in Alaska
The Southwest will experience a heat dome early next week, with Phoenix forecasted to reach temperatures as high as 107°F (42°C). This extreme heat is unusual for this time of year, with Phoenix never hitting 100°F before March 26 in its 137 years of record-keeping. Los Angeles has already experienced unusually warm weather, with temperatures reaching up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Simultaneously, the polar vortex will send frigid air deep into the Midwest and East, causing temperatures to plummet. Minneapolis is expected to hover around zero (-18°C), while Chicago will see single-digit temperatures on Tuesday. The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions are also forecasted to experience teens and 20s in temperature.
Two storm systems will bring heavy snowfall of up to 4 feet (1.22 meters) to the northern Great Lakes states, with a potential bomb cyclone developing over land due to rapidly dropping barometric pressure. This unusual weather pattern is expected to cause significant ice storms and high winds in areas like Michigan, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, San Antonio, and Austin.
In Hawaii, an atmospheric river is causing persistent heavy rain, leading to flash floods and flooding issues on Oahu. Meanwhile, Alaska will experience temperatures about 30 degrees colder than usual. The extreme weather events are attributed to a jet stream gone wild, with studies connecting these anomalies to shrinking Arctic sea ice and human-caused climate change.
The first day of spring is March 20th, after which meteorologists expect some recovery from the extreme weather conditions. However, dangerous thunderstorms could still pop up in areas from the Mississippi Valley toward the East Coast on Sunday or Monday.
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