Every US state to see temperatures below freezing over next week

‘We are heading into the coldest air of the season, it will feel jolting’

Every single state in the US is set to see temperatures below freezing over the next week, as the coldest air of the season moves south across the country.

According to a report by CNN, 86 per cent of the country and 235 million people will experience the extreme lows, largely as a result of one blast of arctic air.

“It is still looking more and more like much of the nation will be dealing with very cold temperatures leading into the second week of February,” the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

A flash freeze will sweep the Midwest as the cold air will start diving down through the upper Midwest and Midwest on Saturday, the broadcaster reported.

"We get 2-3 of these cold snaps every year," NWS Office Meteorologist Marcia Cronce told CNN "We are heading into the coldest air of the season, it will feel jolting."

On Saturday and Sunday night, wind chills for areas outside Milwaukee could reach 20-30 degrees below zero.

A wet snow on Thursday may cause even more problems, with Ms Cronce saying: “Whatever snow and sloppy precipitation we get on Thursday and Friday, it will freeze quickly.”

Later in the week, 16 states across the Midwest and Northern Plains will experience temperatures below zero on Monday morning.

The biting cold air will journey south and east as it moves into much of the South by early next week. CNN said forecasters are still uncertain how far south the arctic blast will reach.

"Our biggest concerns are people outside for long periods of time," Kyle Thiem, NWS Meteorologist for Atlanta, which could see the coldest air since 2018 across the week, said.

The NWS warns that people exposed to extreme cold are susceptible to frostbite in a matter of minutes if proper clothing isn't worn.

“Areas most prone to frostbite are uncovered skin and the extremities, such as hands and feet,” the agency says in its Cold Weather Safety guidance.

"We always advise anyone outside to dress in layers and try to take a break and get shelter every 30 minutes or so,” Mr Thiem said.

The broadcaster noted that temperatures across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast will plummet through the day on Monday.

In Washington, DC, temperatures are reported to drop to 16F on Tuesday morning and are said to be unlikely to climb above freezing for the remainder of the week.

New York City and Philadelphia will see overnight temperatures fall to the low teens on Monday morning, with highs only in the low 20’s Tuesday afternoon.

CNN noted that the temperatures come as a result of the polar vortex, a large area of low pressure located near the poles.

As the vortex breaks down in the winter months the it sends cold air southward, and this year the vortex has been weakened further by Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSW).

“SSWs are occasions in the winter when the polar stratosphere warms and the winds that normally flow from west to east around the pole weaken dramatically and even reverse direction,  corresponding to a breakdown of the polar vortex,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.