January's extreme cold to stay put?

Below-average cold has enveloped much of the U.S. with wind chills as low as 40 below zero in the forecast. More than 30 states have some sort of wind chill warning or advisory as far south as Florida.

The cold began gripping the U.S. late last week, first pouring into the northern High Plains before reaching the central and southern Plains Friday. The upper-level low-pressure trough dumping the cold into the U.S. is large and in charge, allowing the cold to last for several days. Many have been under wind chill warnings and advisories for at least five days now.

Current temperature trends show the coldest high temperatures on Tuesday will be in the Midwest where a major city like Chicago will barely make it past the 0-degree mark. With that, wind chills will make it feel even colder and even make it dangerous to be outdoors without proper clothing for longer durations of time.

Wind chill values will make it down as low as minus-35 for Chicago as the cold winds gust to near 40 mph. No wonder a wind chill warning is in place. Luckily, the sun will be shining.

So, how long will the U.S. be impacted by Old Man Winter’s strongest grip so far?

A brief break is in place for the central U.S. starting Wednesday. Those in the Dakotas could see “warmer” highs near 10 degrees Wednesday before another freezing blow hits the region Thursday.

The roller coaster weather will certainly be felt across the South over the next 48 hours. Today’s highs are only touching the freezing mark in southern Texas, with teens still gripping northern Texas and Oklahoma, and temperatures in the 20s spreading across the lower Mississippi Valley. Many schools are closed.

By Wednesday, above-freezing temperatures will spread across the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley.

For a reference of just how intense this roller coaster is, Midland, Texas, will go from a high of 25 degrees Tuesday to a high in the mid-50s Wednesday and low 60s by Thursday! But on Friday, we’re back in the 30s, thanks to another dip in the polar jet.

Remember how we mentioned wind chill advisories in Florida? Wind chills as low as 20 degrees reach the Sunshine State Wednesday morning prompting Floridians to layer on everything they’ve got.

Wildwood, Lakeland, Tampa, and Bartow, Fla., are all within the wind chill advisory, with freeze warnings and hard freeze warnings to the north.

According to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, above-average temperatures are back in the forecast for most of the U.S. starting late this weekend. Does this mean it will be very warm? Not necessarily, but this does give us a break from the extreme cold weather.