A third “polar vortex” is aiming at the U.S. this week and it could bring the lowest temperatures of this winter’s trio of storms.
The forecast models show the frigid arctic air reaching into northern Mexico and all the way to south-central Florida. Parts of the Gulf of Mexico could see temperatures well below freezing.
The vortex is also expected to be longer than the previous two, lasting almost three days in some regions. Cities in the upper to central Midwest could be facing lows below zero for consecutive days with wind chills that could reach -50 degrees.
The National Weather Service said it could actually be warmer in the nation’s northernmost city, Barrow, Alaska, than it could be in most of the Midwest. Barrow’s predicted high for Monday is -4 degrees. That is the same predicted high for Chicago.
Forecasters say the temperature without wind chill could reach -17 degrees downtown. Wind chills could surge past -40 degrees.
In the northern Midwest, residents faced an additional problem as high winds blew snow to the point it made travel impossible.
Officials across the Midwest are encouraging residents to stay inside for the next two days and avoid travel unless absolutely necessary.
A fireball raced across the sky over the Midwest with reports of sightings coming in from at least four states.
The National Weather Service is investigating the more than 700 reports of the meteor and multiple videos of a bright object roaring across the sky. The city of North Liberty, Iowa caught the object on a traffic camera clearly showing its path across the horizon.
Witnesses described the light as a green ball that was as bright as the sun along with sonic booms and other sounds attributed to meteors.
The American Meteor Society said this event was the 3rd most reported cosmic event in the history of the AMS online reporting system.
Some scientists, however, are launching their own investigation, claiming that because of the size, brightness and color of the object, that it was not a meteor but a piece of space debris that entered the atmosphere.
The National Weather Service said because it’s not a weather related item, they may not issue a formal report.
Meteorologists looking at preliminary data say the EF-4 tornadoes that Washington and New Minden, Illinois could be some of the strongest to ever strike the state.
An EF-4 tornado has wind gusts between 166 and 200 miles per hour.
Greg Carbin of the National Weather Service said that Illinois gets violent tornadoes in November about every 7 to 10 years so the storms Sunday cannot be called rare but the strength of the storms is rare.
Illnois has had only 27 EF-4 and 2 EF-5 tornadoes since 1950 and before Sunday none of the strong twisters struck during November.
The storm devastated the town of Washington, Illlnois, cutting an 1/8th mile wide path of destruction through the entire town. Residents Phil and Carmen Jones lost their family home of 40 years in the storm and say they’ll have to start all over at age 75.
Carmen tried to look at the positives.
“We don’t have to rip that wallpaper off now,” she said.
The National Weather Service has confirmed at least three tornadoes as part of a massive storm system that hit the Midwest on Thursday.
At least one injury was reported when a home was struck in west of Oden, Arkansas. Arkansas Emergency Management reported having trouble reaching the location because of the number of trees blocking on the road. Property damage and power lines are down across the region. Continue reading →
