A woman bundles up against the cold on the afternoon of Jan. 8, 2014 in New York City.
In the first two weeks of 2014, much of the United States weathered a cold snap of unprecedented proportions, as a weather phenomenon known as the “polar vortex” shattered temperature records across the country. Just when you thought it was safe to look forward to February, another vortex is on the way.
Meteorologist Wes Junker broke down weather models in the Washington Post on Thursday, predicting that from next Tuesday (Jan. 21) through the end of the month, temperatures in many parts of the U.S. will be well below normal. Based on weather models, Junker is predicting that the polar vortex–a swath of bitterly cold, dense air–will move well south of its normal position and blast the northeast with more frigid temperatures. Throughout much of the country, he’s predicting temperatures 20 to 30 degrees below average.
According to Junker’s models, the most extreme cold is expected to hit 11-15 days from now. One group that’s sure to be watching the weather are NFL executives. This year, the Meadowlands complex just outside New York is playing host to the first Super Bowl in history that will be played outside in a northern city, and if the weather models hold, bitterly cold temperatures should descend on the city the week before the big game.
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