The system brought a wintry mix of bitterly cold temperatures, freezing rain, and snow that extended from the Pacific Northwest all the way to the East Coast.As the airmass came south, sub-zero air temperatures settled over Montana and the Dakotas on January 13 and 14. Precariously cold temperatures stayed over big swaths of the U.S. for numerous days.The map above programs air temperatures at 2 meters (around 6.5 feet) above the ground at 7 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (12:00 Universal Time) on January 15, as represented by the Goddard Earth Observing System Model. Measurements of temperature, moisture, wind speeds, and other conditions are compiled from NASA satellites and other sources, then added to the model to closely mimic observed reality.The cold air extended as far south as Texas and Louisiana, where temperature levels dropped into the teens on January 15 and 16. The city has actually surpassed the normal 23 inches gotten in the month of January and was anticipated to receive more through January 20.
United States Air Temperature Map on January 15, 2024. Precariously cold temperature levels stuck around over big swaths of the country for numerous days in mid-January 2024. A large mass of Arctic air spilled south from Canada and stuck around for numerous days over much of the contiguous United States in mid-January 2024. The system brought a wintry mix of bitterly cold temperatures, freezing rain, and snow that extended from the Pacific Northwest all the method to the East Coast.As the airmass came south, sub-zero air temperature levels settled over Montana and the Dakotas on January 13 and 14. Air temperatures at a National Weather Service station in Billings, Montana, reached -30 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 degrees Celsius) on January 13, the lowest temperature taped there given that the website was developed in 1999. Wind chill– which explains how cold it feels to human skin due to wind– in Montana and the Dakotas reached as low as -60 ° F(-51 ° C ). A wind chill of -20 ° F( -29 ° C )can trigger frostbite in as few as 30 minutes. As of January 14, over 95 million citizens were under a wind chill advisory, according to the weather condition service. Precariously cold temperatures remained over large swaths of the U.S. for numerous days.The map above programs air temperature levels at 2 meters (around 6.5 feet) in the air at 7 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (12:00 Universal Time) on January 15, as represented by the Goddard Earth Observing System Model. GEOS is an international climatic model that uses mathematical equations to represent physical procedures. Measurements of temperature level, wetness, wind speeds, and other conditions are assembled from NASA satellites and other sources, then contributed to the model to closely mimic observed reality.The cold air extended as far south as Texas and Louisiana, where temperatures dropped into the teens on January 15 and 16. On January 16, the airport in Houston, Texas, registered 19 ° F– a brand-new all-time low for that date.Satellite image of the Great Lakes captured on January 16, 2024, by the MODIS instrument on NASAs Aqua satellite.The frigid air included bouts of heavy snow, specifically downwind of the Great Lakes. When the Arctic air passed over the relatively warm open water, it rapidly warmed and acquired the wetness essential to form narrow bands of clouds. These long, parallel bands of cumulus clouds, known as cloud streets, can be seen in this natural-color image gotten by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument on NASAs Aqua satellite on January 16, 2024. The transfer of heat and moisture from the lakes to the lower atmosphere, which produced lake-effect snow, dropped 1 to 3 inches of snow per hour to cities downwind. Locations of western New York were buried in more than 2 feet of snow on January 13 and 14. According to news reports, the treacherous conditions forced the National Football League to delay a playoff football game in Buffalo, New York.The Great Lakes have been unusually short on ice up until now this winter season, and the lack of ice cover leads to more lake-effect snow. According to AccuWeather, Grand Rapids, Michigan, has actually built up practically 27 inches of snow given that the start of 2024, with the majority of that falling in between January 8 and 16. The city has exceeded the common 23 inches gotten in the month of January and was anticipated to receive more through January 20. Another rise of frigid Arctic air is forecast to spread over the eastern half of the nation on January 19 and 20. The system will not be as severe as this very first wave, according to the weather service, “daytime highs across the Plains into the Mississippi Valley could be 20-30 degrees below typical, with wind making it feel even cooler.”NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using GEOS information from the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office at NASA GSFC, MODIS information from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, and GIBS/Worldview.
