A bitter barrage of icy air is set to chill the eastern two thirds of the United States in some of the coldest temperatures so far this winter, forecasters warned. The second arctic blast in a week is expected to start in the Upper Plains on Tuesday, moving to the Midwest on Wednesday and the Northeast on Thursday. Meanwhile, a winter storm that formed in the Northwest on Sunday was forecast to dump snow along a 2,000-mile-long corridor from Montana to Ohio through Tuesday.
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Kevin Roth, lead meteorologist at The Weather Channel, said Chicago would likely not see temperatures above zero on Wednesday. Northeast cities such as New York and Boston, he added, would struggle to achieve highs in the teens on Thursday. "People need to be careful because of the frostbite threat," Roth said. "It's going to be bitter. Kids heading out to the school bus need to make sure they are wrapped up warm and have their skin covered up. It will be the coldest weather most people have experienced this winter."
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The band of snow could dump up to six inches on Chicago before weakening as it reaches eastern seaboard on Tuesday — but New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C., may still get a light covering, according to The Weather Channel. The cold air and show began over the weekend, with numerous accidents across the nation and more than 800 flight cancellations. By 5 a.m. Monday, Chicago's O'Hare International had 35 cancellations, according to FlightAware.
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