Long-Range Forecast Not Showing Much Relief for Winter Weary Midwest and Northeast

As the eastern half of the U.S. braces for another wave of Arctic air this weekend, forecasters are not offering much hope for warmer conditions on the horizon. The latest long-range forecast is calling for the severe winter weather to continue into the start of February. Here is what you need to know.

Not Much Sign of Relief from the Winter Weather for Millions

The winter of 2025 - 2026 has been the coldest and snowiest winter dating back to 2018 for millions of Americans. Unfortunately, Ole Man Winter is expected to stick around into the near future for much of the central and eastern U.S. The winter weather has settled in across the eastern half of the country following a roller coaster of conditions in December and early January.

Meteorologists are warning that temperatures will hover about 10 to 30 degrees below the historical average well into the first half of February. While there may be slight rebounds during this timeframe, the overall temperatures will trend on the chillier side.

The unseasonably cold temperatures will continue the trend set over the back half of January. Looking at a few specific metro areas, Minneapolis has seen readings average about 15 degrees below normal for the last two weeks of this month. Chicago has seen readings land about 14.5 degrees below the historical average. St. Louis is coming in at 12.6 degrees below the norm, while Pittsburgh is seeing readings 12.3 degrees under the norm for the period between January 17 and 28.

While the temperature departures have not been quite as extreme in the coastal Northeast, this region has still seen temperatures range about 5 degrees below average. Many of these metro areas are currently dealing with temperatures that have remained below the freezing mark for several days.