After a week of brutal cold temperatures across the continental United States, Mother Nature has some good news: a dramatic change in the weather pattern next week will bring an end to the bitter chill.
According to the Climate Prediction Center, above-average temperatures are forecast for the lower 48 states starting next Tuesday. The change in the weather pattern at the upper levels of the atmosphere, where the jet stream flows, is responsible for this shift.
During the recent cold pattern, the jet stream traveled across the southern part of the United States, allowing bursts of cold air to sweep through the country. However, next week, the jet stream is expected to move further north, trapping very cold air in Canada and allowing warm air from the tropics to flow north towards the United States.
The warming trend will commence on Sunday in parts of the western and north-central United States, gradually expanding to more areas early next week. Chicago is expected to break the freezing point on Monday for the first time since the weekend, and the most drastic temperature changes will occur midweek in the central and eastern United States.
Parts of the Plains and Midwest can expect temperatures to rise 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit above average next Wednesday, following temperatures 30 to 40 degrees below average the previous Sunday. Cities like Des Moines and Minneapolis will experience temperature swings of 40 to 50 degrees, with conditions more reminiscent of March than January.
Further east, cities like Indianapolis, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and New York City will see temperatures more typical of late February. This above-average heat is likely to persist into late January, according to the Climate Prediction Center.
This dramatic change in the weather pattern brings hope for relief from the extreme cold that has gripped the country, and a welcome respite for those who have been enduring the frigid conditions. As Mother Nature offers respite from the winter freeze, the promise of above-average temperatures is a welcome change for many.