Brutal ‘epic, generational Arctic outbreak’ cold front set to blast northeast

Jack Birle

February 02, 01:49 PM February 02, 01:49 PM

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Forecasters are predicting frigid temperatures and ice storms will continue to batter the northeastern United States though the weekend.

Temperatures in the Washington, D.C. area are set to drop to below freezing, with “wind chills in the teens,” per the National Weather Service, while temperatures in Maine are set to hit wind chill temperatures which are “rarely seen.”

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“This is an epic, generational Arctic outbreak,” said the National Weather Service in Caribou, Maine. “The air mass descending on the area Friday into Friday night is the coldest air currently in the Northern Hemisphere.”

“The unusual combination of very cold temperatures in the teens to 20s below zero and strong winds will create wind chills rarely seen in northern and eastern Maine as low as 45 to 65 below zero,” the NWS Forecast Office for Caribou, Maine, continued.

The freezing temperatures and bitter wind chill are being caused by an arctic front set to approach the northeast for much of Friday and Saturday, eventually being replaced by a warmer front by the beginning of next week.

Officials at the National Weather Service have issued wind chill warnings or advisories for the entire northeastern U.S. as far south as near Allentown, Pennsylvania and as far west as Erie, Pennsylvania.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“Avoid any outdoor activities on Friday and Saturday! Cold temperatures paired with the wind chill factor could lead to potentially life-threatening conditions outdoors. If you’re traveling, bring a winter emergency kit and inform others of your plans,” New Hampshire’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management said in a post on Facebook.

The frigid temperatures in the northeast come as ice storms continue to batter the south, with Texas reporting several dead and nearly 400,000 without power. The ice storms are expected to conclude Thursday, per the NWS.