Lawmakers in New Jersey have declared a state of emergency as forecasters warn the East Coast is about to be bombarded with eight inches of snow, putting millions of people under weather warnings.
The state's governor, Phil Murphy, made the announcement Saturday evening ahead of an Arctic Blast that will sweep in Sunday morning and dump an inch of snow per hour across the Garden State.
Murphy told New Jerseyans not to travel by car unless the trip is essential. The state of emergency came into effect at 8 a.m. on Sunday.
“Starting tomorrow morning, we expect a winter storm to bring heavy snow, followed by dangerously low temperatures expected on Monday and lasting through Wednesday,” Murphy said.
“As always, I urge all New Jerseyans to exercise caution, follow all safety protocols and stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.”
The National Weather Service (NWS) said much of the Lower 48 should brace for 'the coldest air mass of the season yet' Sunday through Jan. 24 as a trifecta of storms moves in.
Temperatures are expected to reach as low as 9F (minus 12C) in New Jersey by mid-week, with similar climates forecast in New York, and 5F (minus 15C) expected in the Northeast.
Meteorologists predict temperatures could drop as much as 45 degrees below average, flooding at least 20 states in the Plains, Great Lakes and the Northeast.
Lawmakers in New Jersey have declared a state of emergency as forecasters warn the East Coast will be bombarded with eight inches of snow for several days starting Sunday morning.
Pictured: People experience snowfall near the Washington Monument during a winter storm in Washington, DC, USA, on January 6, 2025
Meteorologists predict temperatures could drop as much as 45 degrees below average, flooding at least 20 states in the Plains, Great Lakes and the Northeast.
In the sub-zero areas, pipes are likely to freeze and burst, putting significant strain on power grids as people rush to heat their homes.
Snow and slick roads will also hit the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Sunday, with a wintry mix possible in the Deep South early next week.
All states in the Lower 48, and more than 80 percent of residents, will see freezing temperatures.
The cold weather will be accompanied by a trifecta of devastating winter storms that will blanket several states in deep snow while further increasing already frigid temperatures.
The blisteringly cold Siberian air is expected to reach as far as the country's Gulf Coast in the coming days.
The first of the three will drop snow and rain across parts of the Midwest and Northeast on Saturday, likely affecting Indianapolis, Detroit and Cleveland.
That same mix of snow and rain will then move to the inland northeast before another storm threatens to form in the Appalachians, according to CNN.
The second storm will move into southern New York and southern New England on Sunday afternoon.
The first of the three storms will drop snow and rain across parts of the Midwest and Northeast on Saturday, likely hitting Indianapolis, Detroit and Cleveland.
The Arctic Blast will hit dozens of US states in the coming days, meteorologists warn
Further inland snow will fall, with those near the coast expecting heavy rain throughout the day, with 1 to 3 inches of snow falling from Washington DC to New England and amounts as high as 3 to 6 inches west of the I- 95.
Predicting a possible third storm was “difficult” according to meteorologist Mary Gilbert, as officials on Friday called for President-elect Trump's inauguration to take place indoors due to bad weather caused by a polar vortex.
Inauguration Day forecasts only point to highs in the 20s, with snow falling on Sunday expected to stick around.
Wind gusts of up to 30 miles per hour will blast through the layers of the hundreds of thousands of MAGA enthusiasts expected to fill the national mall on Monday.
'This poses a high risk of hypothermia and frostbite to the exposed skin. Be sure to take a cold weather survival kit with you when traveling,” the NWS warned.
“This would certainly be one of the coldest outbreaks in the last 10 or 15 years,” said winter weather expert Judah Cohen of Atmospheric Environmental Research. 'It sucks air from Siberia.
“And you know, that matches up with these pieces because when the polar vortex extends, the flow starts in Siberia and ends in the US.”
According to the NWS, the Rockies, Northern Plains and Upper Midwest should see minimum wind chills of -30 F or colder Saturday through Tuesday.
Even states along the Gulf Coast and southern border will see temperatures drop 10 to 30 F below average. Only South Florida will be spared from the bitter cold.
“So if you're a snowbird, you like to escape south – there's no escaping this. Everyone will feel it,” said FOX weather meteorologist Britta Merwin.
Temperatures are also likely to freeze and burst pipes, putting significant strain on power grids as people rush to heat their homes
All states in the Lower 48, and more than 80 percent of residents, will see freezing temperatures
All told, more than 300 million Americans will experience below-average temperatures on Monday, FOX reported.
But the wind chill could see some parts of the country experience pleasant temperatures as low as -50 F on Monday morning.
Cities unaccustomed to such low temperatures should prepare for the life-threatening consequences of this cold, Merwin said.
It doesn't look like temperatures will rise anytime soon, as meteorologists expect the general weather pattern to remain favorable for more Arctic outbreaks through the end of January.
