New York, US East Will Chill for Mid-January While West Warms

The middle of January is looking to be warm and dry in the western US and cooler in central and eastern parts of the country, which may drive energy demand as the densely populated cities from Chicago to New York feel the chill, the US Climate Prediction Center said.

The cold will likely start to arrive in the eastern US by Thursday or Friday of this week, said Marc Chenard, a senior branch forecaster with the US Weather Prediction Center. The situation for the next 10 days will resemble the pattern that dominated much of December.