Weather & Science
Deep Freeze Will Send Some US Temperatures Plunging
- Ice storms could down power lines and disrupt travel
- Natural gas and diesel prices are climbing on the forecasts
A snowy morning in Brooklyn, New York, on December 21.
Photographer: Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Waves of intense cold will send temperatures plunging as much as 20F (11C) below normal across the central and eastern US this month, triggering ice storms that could down power lines and snarl travel from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic.
The worst of the deep freeze will be centered on the Ohio Valley and northern Missouri next week, according to Commodity Weather Group LLC. Cincinnati’s high is forecast to reach only 17F on Jan. 8. The arctic outbreak is expected to spread south and east the following week, with Mississippi, South Carolina and Florida likely to see abnormally low temperatures.