‘Dangerous’ gales to bring -40C mega-freeze in 1,600-mile cold air cascade

The National Weather Service (NOAA) has in force advisories for winter storms, savage wind chills and a widespread ‘hard freeze’.

Jim Dale, US weather correspondent and meteorologist for British Weather Services, said: “We could see temperature records for cold fall as a significant cold blast grips the United States.

“We have already seen very low temperatures and snow and this will continue through the week, at least.

“This is part of a bounce back from the very mild temperatures we saw in December.”

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The potentially historic freeze follows a warm start to winter which saw the mercury in parts rocket into the 60Fs (15.5C).

Warm gusts from the Gulf of Mexico pushed temperatures above average for the time of year across southern states.

In a stark turnaround, this week could bring some of the lowest temperatures ever recorded in the United States.

Strong winds threaten ‘dangerous wind chills’ in the Rockies, the Plains and across the Midwest.

Weather Channel meteorologist Jonathan Erdman said: “A blast of Arctic cold air is plunging into the US, and dangerously cold wind chills are also expected, especially in the Northern Plains and Rockies.

“The Arctic cold outbreak will deliver record-setting, frigid air to parts of the country, including the Deep South through Wednesday.

“Daily records for mid-January could be broken from Washington state to the Gulf Coast, and the generally colder pattern could hang on until the last full week of January or longer.

“Some lows in Montana will reach minus 40 degrees.”

The NOAA said ‘brutally’ cold conditions would bring up to six inches of snow in parts with the additional hazard of freezing rain in the northwest.

Utah and western Colorado are braced for heavy mountain snow with significant accumulations to low levels.

A NOAA spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, the dangerous cold weather could stick around for the next several days as cold air plunges southward, which could yield additional record-breaking, dangerously low temperatures over parts of the Midwest and Deep South.

“To highlight just how intense this outbreak of Arctic air is, over 95 million citizens fall within a Wind Chill Warning, Advisory.

“The prolonged nature of this event could result in moderate to major potential winter storm impacts over parts of Arkansas, northwest Mississippi, and western Tennessee, where Winter Storm Warnings are in effect.”