A bomb cyclone will be disrupting holiday plans in Central and Eastern U.S.A as some of the coldest wind from Siberia has slipped through the jet stream, through Canada, and is headed towards millions of people in the U.S. The coldest winter in decades is coming. Here’s what you need to know.
From an extreme cold chill that could bring temperatures into the frostbite range, where even 5 minutes on exposed skin could be dangerous, to snow squalls that are perilous to drive in, and potential blizzards in places like Chicago and the Great Lakes, this is looking to be a bout of dangerous weather. Travel is expected to be severely impacted, with major airlines giving out travel vouchers, bringing a damper on millions of Americans’ holiday plans.
For Denver, Wednesday and Thursday will be the coldest at night, with highs in the negatives (Wednesday -9 and Thursday -8) and in the daytime, wind chills are expected to be as cold as -20. The National Weather Service has also issued a Wind Chill Watch for most of the planes and the I-25 corridor that will go into effect Wednesday at 11 pm and continue until 10 am Friday. Luckily, it looks like the brunt of the storm will pass the I-25.
By Thursday morning, wind chills could feel like – 20 to -55, and although it might not be record breaking cold for Colorado like it might be in, say, Florida, it will be the coldest we’ve seen in 2 years. In Pueblo’s case, the last time it say temperatures like this was 1990.
As far as the aftermath of this cold front, prepare your pipes to reduce a chance of them bursting, and expect it to be snowy and cold for quite some time, as the low temperatures mean we’ll have snow for longer. Keep animals indoors or prepare shelters for any outdoor pets. You can also check in with local shelters to see if they need any support for the homeless during these next few freezing nights. Stay safe out there, Denver.