A polar vortex will impact much of the country. The price of natural gas soars.
Here are a few videos that show the progression of the storm. Utah, Nevada, and the west coast are spared.
The biggest problem is ice and freezing rain in a long band that separates snow from rain.
Massive snowstorm to bury areas from Oklahoma City to New York City, Boston
Accuweather reports Massive snowstorm to bury areas from Oklahoma City to New York City, Boston
“It is rare that storms combine this much snow, ice and bitter cold over such a large area — a widespread travel-halting winter storm will stall daily life for days in large portions of the central and eastern U.S.,” AccuWeather Senior Vice President Evan Myers said.
Accumulating snow will fall along a swath of the central and eastern United States that extends for at least 2,000 miles and includes the major cities of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Denver; Oklahoma City; St. Louis; Nashville; Indianapolis; Cincinnati; Pittsburgh; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; Philadelphia; New York City and Boston.
Snow has broken out over portions of Colorado and New Mexico as well as western portions of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas on Friday morning and will then expand eastward across the Mississippi and Ohio valleys Saturday. Saturday night, the snow is forecast to reach the mid-Atlantic and the central Appalachians before spreading over much of New England Sunday.
In the zone around central Maryland, the eastern panhandle of West Virginia and the northern tip of Virginia, a heavy rate of snow before and after any mixing of ice may compensate, hence AccuWeather’s forecast accumulation of 12-18 inches with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 30 inches. Snowfall accumulations of 12-18 inches with pockets of 18-24 inches will also extend from portions of central and northeastern Pennsylvania to central and eastern upstate New York and central New England.
If ice does not mix in over areas such as Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City, snowfall may exceed the higher end of the average of 6-10 inches currently forecast. A changeover to sleet and freezing rain are forecast over much of Virginia, central and eastern Maryland, all of Delaware, parts of New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania.
Travel conditions will deteriorate rapidly with streets, highways and runways becoming snow-covered during the first hour or so of the storm in many cases. Snowfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour at the height of the storm may overwhelm road crews’ ability to keep roads open.
Similar to Chicago, the southern shorelines of lakes Erie and Ontario may receive a boost in snowfall totals due to the added moisture from the nearby open waters.
Because of the massive scope of the storm, travel disruptions will continue well beyond the end of the storm as temperatures plummet into the teens, single digits and even below zero in some areas, which will reduce or prevent the function of ice-melting compounds.
Snow on some roads may be compacted by vehicles, making it more difficult to remove or drive on with full traction.
Thousands of flights are expected to be canceled nationwide as crews and aircraft are displaced, even in areas where the sky is clear and the weather is dry. It may take days for the airline industry to fully recover and return to normal operations due to the massive scope of the storm.
Three Storm Models
Natural Gas Soars
CNBC reports Natural gas prices soar as Arctic cold to blast Upper Midwest and descend across U.S.
Natural gas prices soared more than 20% on Wednesday as an Arctic cold front is forecast to blast across the Upper Midwest and descend south to grip much of the U.S. with frigid temperatures through the weekend.
Prices surged about 25%, or 97 cents, to close at nearly $4.88 per million British thermal units.
Heating demand is expected to spike as wind chills could fall to -50 degrees Fahrenheit across the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains, according to the National Weather Service.
Natural Gas Not Just a Storm Issue
Natural gas is the largest source of U.S. electricity generation, accounting for approximately 43% of total utility-scale electricity in 2023. It has been the dominant source for electric power since 2016.
AI electrical power needs will significantly increase the need for natural gas.
Stay warm, but expect higher electricity and heating bills.
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Addendum – Blame Canada
Reader: This is Biden’s fault.
Mish: That’s quite logical at first glance.
But didn’t Trump forget to command the polar vortex to stay in Canada where it belongs?
Then again, what the hell is the matter with Canada?
Trump needs to file a lawsuit against Canada for this belligerent terrorist polar vortex attack on the US.
14 Years Ago, South Park Nailed It
