Polar vortex to bring sub-zero wind chills next week

Our next outbreak of bitterly air will arrive next week, plunging temperatures well below average for a time. But where does this cold air come from? It has an Arctic origin near the North pole! A polar vortex will help draw that air mass our direction through the weekend and into next week, bringing dangerous cold our way. The air mass will have bitterly cold temperatures down at the surface, but even colder air higher in the atmosphere. 

Roughly a mile up, the air temperature will be near -20°! If you see maps showing 850 mb temperatures, this is the layer of air that typically denotes whether the surface will be mild or cold.

The surface temperature will also dip below zero for a period of time, but not quite as cold as the air further aloft. Our forecast temperatures early next week show highs in the single digits and lows down below zero Sunday and Monday nights!

Those temperatures are not counting the wind chill, though. With blustery winds on the leading edge of the arctic air Saturday and Sunday, wind chills will be well below the air temperature, and below zero starting Saturday night. The lowest wind chills will be Sunday and Monday nights, when chills could approach -25°. Wind chills will remain below zero likely though early Wednesday.

With wind chills as low as they will be, frostbite can set in quickly. When the wind chill is between 0° and -15°, frostbite is possible within 20-30 minutes on exposed skin. When the chills are -15° to -25°, frostbite can set in within 10-20 minutes. Be sure to bundle up and cover exposed skin if you must be out in the cold next week!