According to AccuWeather forecasters, the weather pattern is likely to bring cold winds, damaging frost and freeze, and even the potential of snow accumulation.
“A lobe of the polar vortex will spin southward and loop around the Great Lakes and northeastern United States into the next week before shifting farther northwest over Canada toward the middle of May,” said AccuWeather forecaster Paul Pastelok, during an on-air broadcast.
On Friday night, cold temperatures will begin in areas ranging from St. Louis, Chicago, and parts of Pennsylvania and New York. Temperatures in these areas is expected to be between 20 and 30 degrees with the chance of frost and freeze as well.
On Saturday, temperatures are expected to stay relatively the same as Friday, with a number of areas expected to challenge their record lowest temperatures for the month of May. According to AccuWeather, Washington D.C. could challenge its record-low temperature of 52 degrees on Saturday, a number that has stood since 1877.
“Other places where low maximum temperature records could be set on Saturday include Harford, Connecticut, Boston and Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, to name a few,” AccuWeather meteorologist Jesse Farrell said. According to AccuWeather the current record low temperatures for these areas are 45 degrees in 1972, 45 in 1966 and 41 in 1947, respectively.
Unusually cold temperatures could even make it to parts of Mississippi and Alabama over the upcoming weekend. Snowfall is also expected to be a product of the polar vortex, with expected impact areas from southern Pennsylvania to northern Maine.
“The strongest storm in the bunch will spread a swath of snow from the central Appalachians to interior southern and central New England from Friday to early Saturday,” AccuWeather’s chief meteorologist Bernie Rayno said during an on-air broadcast.
Snowfall in these areas is expected to come down steadily but lightly, with a small chance of large accumulation. In New York, areas between Albany and Binghamton are likely to see steady snowfall.
While the polar vortex will bring unusually cold temperatures to the eastern U.S., the west coast is expected to experience the total opposite, with a heat wave over in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
“What a pattern across the United States. Look at the big jet stream across the eastern U.S. Meanwhile in the west, it’s totally opposite, polar opposite, where we’re looking at record warmth,” Rayno added.
