Arctic Attack!

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Alarm bells are blaring as severe winter weather is expected to descend upon the southern United States during the month of January – potentially putting broad swaths of the country in the grip of a historic deep freeze.

While it’s still too early to speculate about possible precipitation, forecast models are showing at least three separate blasts of Arctic air – each bigger and colder than the last – pushing through the middle of the country beginning late this week and continuing through the second week of January.

The deep south – including South Carolina – is directly in the path of this three-tiered, thermostat-dropping thrust.

“It’s going to come in like a lion,” famed meteorologist Jim Cantore noted.

“This is a long-lasting and potentially severe cold event for the eastern United States,” added meteorologist Ryan Maue.

According to Maue, by this coming weekend (January 4-5, 2025) the first Arctic blast will begin impacting the eastern United States – pushing temperatures, on average, to fifteen degrees below normal for early January. The initial freeze, however, is “just the beginning of a process that leads to a much bigger ‘polar vortex’ intrusion” scheduled during the second week of next month, per Maue.

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????If you are in the Central/Eastern US looking for cold and snow, it doesn't get better than overnight ensemble guidance. These regimes have historically been very effective at producing anomalously cold, active patterns. Individual storm threats should become more clear soon.. pic.twitter.com/xUHqSADjvP

— John Homenuk (@jhomenuk) December 30, 2024

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“Multiple shots of cold air will move in with each shot looking to get colder and colder,” South Carolina-based storm chaser Mitch West concurred.

Does this mean South Carolina is going to become a winter wonderland over the next two weeks? Not necessarily.

“Timing is huge. It always is in the South,” West added. “But the window will be there and it could be there for more than just a couple days.”

Florida-based weather expert Mike Boylan – whose work we featured prominently during the 2024 hurricane season – says the potential for moisture in the gulf developing ahead of the system brings “wintry wonderland chances to dream about for the south and (the) east.”

“Too far (away) to make bets but an interesting few days ahead,” Boylan noted.

While there have been no notifications from the S.C. Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) related to the upcoming system(s), the agency advised citizens last month to “check their emergency supplies and safety plans” in anticipation of winter’s onset.

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“While South Carolina typically experiences mild winters, hazardous winter weather events like snowfall, ice storms, and extreme cold can impact the entire state,” the agency warned. “Winter storms can create dangerous conditions, including closed highways, blocked roads, black ice, downed trees and power lines, and the potential for hypothermia.”

During winter storms, citizens are urged to stay off the roads, remain indoors, dress warmly and prepare for power outages. Whenever possible, it’s also important to check on neighbors – especially elderly neighbors.

Oh, and never use a generator inside your home… which, frankly, seems about as self-evident as the ubiquitous “never siphon by mouth” warning on gasoline pumps.

Needless to say, FITSNews will be tracking the development of this Arctic weather pattern over the coming days as models coalesce around a more clearly defined forecast. In the meantime, now would be a good time to start making plans for a bitterly cold start to the new year.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.

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