An arctic front is expected to distribute ice, heavy snow and record-breaking cold to nearly half the United States.
In some parts of Vermont, the National Weather Service forecasts wind chills as low as minus 40 degrees. Much of the state is under an extreme cold watch.
Fairbanks Museum senior meteorologist, Mark Breen, predicts Friday and Saturday's subzero temps could break records. The Jan. 24 record for coldest daytime temperature, minus 4 degrees, dates back to 1907. "It's entirely possible that temperatures may stay at or below that figure in the Champlain Valley during Saturday," said Breen.
Where's this all coming from?
The cold blast is coming out of the Arctic. It's currently centered in northwestern Canada, and will be making its way into the Vermont region Friday night into Saturday.
The extent of artic cold is unusual, according to Breen. The winter storm watches extend from New Mexico all the way into Pennsylvania. "Pretty much most locations east of the Rockies will get some effect from this cold by the time we get through the weekend," he said.
As for snow, Vermont currently isn't expecting to see as much accumulation as other parts of the country, though the storm's track is still unclear. As of Thursday afternoon, forecasters predict some snowfall to begin later on Sunday and continuing into Monday.
What's the big deal? We're used to the cold.
When wind chill drop below minus 40 degrees, frostbite can set in within minutes.
Your pipes are also at risk. Let faucets drip to help prevent them from freezing or bursting.
Vermont Emergency Management and the Vermont Department of Health both maintain lists of winter weather risks and how to mitigate them. Vermont Public has also compiled a list of winter weather resources.
What about the typical January thaw?
Vermont typically experiences a thaw sometime in January. When Breen looks back several decades in his records, the thaw typically occurred during the third week of January. "But one of the things that I've noticed in the past couple of decades is it seems to have shifted more closer to between the 10th and 15th of January," Breen said.
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