Virginia temperatures to plummet this week from polar vortex-related Arctic blast
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All of Virginia will be freezing early this week.
Why it matters: The hazardous cold could be a public health risk, threaten to burst pipes, and stress electricity grids.
The big picture: A powerful Arctic outbreak tied partly to the polar vortex is set to send temperatures tumbling down to as cold as 25 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit below average for mid-January, forecasts show.
- This event is likely to be far colder than the Arctic outbreak from earlier this month — which led to a power outage that resulted in Richmond losing water for three days.
Zoom in: Temperatures started crashing over the weekend, when they went from a high of 50 on Saturday to a high near 26 in Richmond on Monday, per the National Weather Service.
- The region's lows will be around 10 degrees, but could feel colder due to wind, until Thursday.
- We won't see a high above freezing temperatures until then, either, when it's forecasted to be near 37 degrees.
Neither will Norfolk and Virginia Beach, which are (of course) by the water where it's usually warmer.
- Parts of Northern Virginia, like Loudoun, will see wind chills values as low as -10 Wednesday.
- The Southwestern parts of the state, such as Wise, could see lows around -2 Tuesday night.
What we're watching: Shelters for homeless Richmonders fill up so quickly, that many residents will have nowhere to go. Read more about that via RTD.
- Icy roads could also be a problem — and impact whether schools open — if we get precipitation, though chances are low. See tips for how to be prepared for cold weather
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