Image: Pivotal Weather/ECMWF
January 9, 2020
❄️ Bitter Arctic Air is eyeing the Central and Eastern United States Next Week and Beyond....
After a relatively tranquil first week of January, the discussion is growing to a frantic pitch of a coming bitter weather pattern for the central and eastern United States. At the end of December, the seeds were planted letting you know that January should turn cold and stormy, and that is on schedule.

The famed "Polar Vortex" has split thanks to a strong Sudden Stratospheric Warming episode (SSW). This phenomenona occurs every so often, usually in mid to late December, when winds and pressures are altered high above the North Pole. This leads to strong, Arctic blocking, a forcing mechanism that splits the polar low, pushes it south, and leads to bitter Arctic air encompassing areas away from the pole.

Image: Pivotal Weather/ECMWF
January 9, 2020
The image above depicts this very aspect. High pressure located over Greenland and the North Pole, with polar vorticies split farther south. Those are the blues and purples seen across the eastern and central United States, western Europe, and eastern Asia. Storminess will also grow, giving a good portion of the United States the threat of snow. Places that normally do not get snow will have chances to cash in, so please stay tuned as we watch the pattern evolve.

Forecast Provided By: Meteorologist Joshua Ketchen

  • β˜ƒοΈ The SWC Winter Forecast has been released for the 2021-22 Season. Our forecasters break down the details of how the upcoming Winter will play out across the United States.
  • ⚠️ U.S Advisory Layers
    SWC Weather Advisory Layers
    ⚠️ Click on real-time watch, warning, and advisory polygons for critical weather information. Allow the SWC location feature to plot your location on the map. Expand the map and visit all SWC Weather Layers.
  • 🧊 As Winter Weather impacts become more frequent across America, it's important to brush up on the basics. Let's review how you can prepare yourself and your family for the worst of Old Man Winter!
    πŸ“¦ Pack an Emergency Supply Kit.
    πŸ“± Charge all Communication devices.
    πŸš— Winterize all family vehicles.
    πŸ“– Get up-to-date weather reports.
    πŸ™Œ Share your travel plans with others.
    πŸ›£ Monitor road conditions.
  • πŸ“‘ View the latest Goes-16 Visible Satellite image of the United States. This image will update every 5 minutes.
  • πŸ”₯ As La Nina continues to control the overall pattern across the Western U.S., dry conditions are prevailing across Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. These conditions are forecasted to continue through Winter 2020/21.