一股北极寒流席卷美国，给从大平原一直延伸到东海岸的广大地区带来创纪录的低温和降雪。
根据美国国家海洋和大气管理局的数据，下48个州的30%左右覆盖着一层雪。
从西伯利亚卷进来的北极气团导致全国大部分地区数十个地方的温度记录下降。据国家气象局(NWS)称，冷锋预计将持续到本周。)
“在接下来的几天里，北极冷空气的早期爆发将消耗美国东部三分之二的大部分地区，使其感觉像是在冬天，”NWS的一份声明写道。“预计到周三，气温将达到创纪录低点和最高纪录低点，平均气温将比正常水平低20至30度。
“这次北极爆发的强度可与1911年的‘蓝色北方’相提并论，当时东海岸的大部分平原在10至20岁时出现了创纪录的低温，而在这一天观测到了接近80度的创纪录的高温。声明称:“与当前北极爆发相关的膨胀高压系统将于周四开始向新英格兰东部移动。”。
据NWS报道，在从大西洋中部海岸到新英格兰的一些地方又一个创纪录的寒冷早晨之后，周四白天气温将开始上升。
在周二早上创下的一些记录中，爱荷华州锡达拉皮兹的气温为零下6度——这是本赛季初该地区有记录以来最低的温度。华盛顿邮报报道。
同时，芝加哥全国广播公司报道，芝加哥市周一晚上和周二早上连续打破每日纪录，奥黑尔机场分别录得13度和7度的低点。甚至记录到了远至德克萨斯州海湾海岸的冰冻温度。
东北和五大湖的一些地区也经历了破纪录的降雪。例如，纽约水牛城降雪约9英寸，打破了1942年的纪录。与此同时，哥伦比亚广播公司报道，密歇根北部的部分地区经历了30多英寸。
据国家气象局称，未来几天预计还会有更多降雪。
NWS的一份声明写道:“今天早上，一场高空扰动迅速席卷落基山脉北部，将把雨雪从落基山脉北部向东传播到中西部上游。”。"随着中西部上游降雪区的到来，目前五大湖的湖泊效应降雪将在今晚变得更加普遍。"
“与这次扰动相关联的锋面系统处于弱侧，湿雪将在周四晚上越过下五大湖和新英格兰北部向东移动得更远。一个次级冷锋将于周五早上接近五大湖上游，给该地区带来新一轮降雪。
据哥伦比亚广播公司新闻报道，至少有五人死于与冰雪条件相关的交通事故。周一，奥黑尔机场的一架飞机也在起落架断裂后滑出跑道，尽管机上没有人受伤。由于下雪，奥黑尔机场和芝加哥中途机场的1000多个航班被取消。
ARCTIC COLD FRONT IS SWEEPING THROUGH THE U.S. BRINGING RECORD COLD TEMPERATURES AND SNOWFALL
An Arctic cold snap is sweeping through the United States bringing record-breaking cold temperatures and snow to a wide area stretch from the Great Plains all the way to the East Coast.
According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a blanket of snow is covering around 30 percent of the Lower 48 states.
The arctic air mass which has rolled in from Siberia has caused temperature records to fall in dozens of locations across a large portion of the country. And the cold front is expected to persist further into the week, according to the National Weather Service (NWS.)
"An early blast of cold arctic air will consume much of the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. over the next few days, making it feel like the middle of winter," an NWS statement read. "Numerous record lows and record low maximum temperatures are expected through Wednesday, as temperatures average 20 to 30 degrees below normal.
"The intensity of this arctic outbreak is comparable to the 'Blue Norther' of 1911 in which much of the Plains eastward to the East Coast saw record cold temperatures in the teens and 20s shortly after record warm temperatures of near 80 degrees were observed on the same day! The expansive high pressure system associated with the current arctic outbreak will begin to move east of New England on Thursday," the statement read.
According to the NWS, temperatures will start to rise during the day on Thursday after another morning of record cold for some locations stretching from the Mid-Atlantic coast to New England.
Among some of the records set on Tuesday morning, minus 6 degrees was measured in Cedar Rapids, Iowa—the coldest temperature on record for this location so early in the season, The Washington Post reported.
Meanwhile, the city of Chicago broke consecutive daily records on Monday night and Tuesday morning, with lows of 13 and 7 degrees respectively measured at O'Hare Airport, NBC Chicago reported. Freezing temperature were even recorded as far south as the Texas Gulf coast.