Arctic Blast Bearing Down on Central and Eastern U.S.

Get ready for winter-like temperatures if you live in the central and eastern U.S. The first Arctic blast of the season is forecast to expand across the eastern half of the country beginning on Saturday, putting millions of Americans into an early-season deep freeze. How cold will it get, and who will feel the impacts? Read on for the chilly details.

Temperatures Set to Tumble Across Half of the U.S.

The mercury is going to be on a free fall in a zone from the Dakotas to the southeast in Florida through early next week. The polar vortex is to blame for frigid temperatures. The cold air has its origins in Greenland and the Canadian Arctic, working to push a cold front through the central and eastern U.S.

How chilly will it get in the East? The Weather Prediction Center is forecasting that temperatures will hover about 10 to 15 degrees below normal levels for this time of the year. The chilliest temperatures of the season thus far will arrive on Sunday and Monday as the Arctic cold front marches to the south and into the U.S.