Story highlights
A big winter storm is making its way east toward the Midwest, New England
Freezing temperatures are expected throughout most of the country
Bone-chilling winds will persist Friday across the United States as temperatures continue to plunge into a sub-freezing stretch, bringing some of the coldest air this season.
The same storm that walloped Oregon on Wednesday is moving east toward the Great Lakes region and will likely reach New England by Saturday.
Here’s what you can expect:
• Nearly 80% of the country will see below-freezing temperatures in the next week
• With the wind chill, temperatures could reach 35 below zero in some northeastern states Friday
• Close to 99 million are under a Winter Weather Advisory
A strong storm system moving out of the Pacific across the Sierra Nevada range of California will bring heavy rains, snow and wind Friday.
Up to 8 inches of snow could fall from Wyoming through Wisconsin and northern Illinois Friday into Saturday, the National Weather Service said.
Portions of Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota are expected get the coldest air the region has seen in two years.
Sub-freezing temperatures in the Northeast
New York, Washington DC and Boston will be waking up Saturday to extremely cold temperatures, with the wind chill ranging from minus 10 to minus 35 in some locations from Pennsylvania up into Maine.
Strong winds have already been an issue, with gusts in excess of 60 mph in some locations, including areas along Cape Cod.
Cold air, then fluctuating temperatures
A roller coaster ride of temperature swings are in store for the next five days.
The good news is that temperatures will rebound for some areas over the weekend.
Warm air is expected to surge into the Southeast, where it could meet with the storm system Friday into Saturday as it crosses the Mississippi Valley. A wintry mix of rain and snow can be expected in parts of the Ohio Valley up into Pennsylvania.
Believe it or not – some areas that were close to freezing on Thursday evening in the deep South could see near-record highs near the Gulf coast and into Florida ahead of the next push of bitter cold air.
But the respite may be brief as the next arctic blast is expected to impact areas stretching from the Plains into the western Great Lakes, causing temperatures to plummet below zero.
Chicago Bears game could break record
This weekend’s matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers could be the coldest since the Bears started tracking kickoff temperatures.
The previous record was set December 22, 2008 – also against the Packers. The kickoff temperature was 2 degrees, with a frigid 13 below zero wind-chill temperature.
Chicago is poised to break that record Sunday.
‘Tough’ guy shovels in shorts
Some people who are accustomed to cold weather can’t help but see a little humor in the situation.
Steve Clay of Belgrade, Montana wanted to make a point to friends elsewhere that Montanans are tough, said his wife, Angie Clay.
So he shoveled their driveway wearing shorts and a T-shirt – in six-degree weather.
“It took him about 20 minutes,” said Angie, who posted the photo on Instagram on Friday. “We have about a foot of snow, and it is still snowing. The roads are plowed, so we can get around normally, just slower.”
Oregon already grappling with snow
In the West, a snowstorm has already hammered parts of Oregon, dropping snow on the region on Wednesday. Photos showed cars strewn across snow-covered roads and trucks spun out at odd angles. Officials asked drivers to avoid the roads as traffic ground to a virtual halt.
In the Portland metro area, the snowstorm jammed public transportation and stranded hundreds of students who couldn’t get home due to dangerous road conditions, reported CNN affiliate KOIN. Many were stuck in traffic on school buses or spent extra hours at school, waiting to be picked up after one to three inches of snow fell across the region. Many of the area schools closed Thursday to avert more chaos on the roads, according to CNN affiliate KPTV.
Oregon also had three avalanches Wednesday amid the flurry of snow, closing down Highway 20, said the Oregon State Police.
And in California, flood concerns
Rain, wind, and snow are also impacting a majority of California from this new round of weather that has moved in from the Pacific. Some areas have seen more than seven inches of rain with wind gusts in excess of 50 mph.
Flood watches and warnings have been issued for much of the state through Friday. Officials are also eying possible mudslides, triggered sometimes when heavy rain hits drought-stricken areas.
The California Highway Patrol alerted motorists Friday morning that the heavy rains caused several large boulders to roll onto Highway 1, shutting down a stretch of the road in both directions.
CNN’s John Newsome and Madison Park contributed to this report.
