Millions of people are bracing for a snowy New Year's weekend with super-cold weather and potential travel delays

pulse

December 26, 2017 9:02 PM

Winter weather may bring travel delays to much of the Midwest and the Northeast on New Year's Eve and Day.

Much of the Midwest and Northeast will experience frigid temperatures well below average this week.
Multiple snowstorms are expected to cause travel delays and road closures on New Year's Day.
New York City may see the third-coldest New Year's Eve on record.

Prepare for a frigid week.

Two winter storms are projected to converge on the northeastern US this weekend, bringing heavy snowfall and freezing weather to parts of New England and New York, according to AccuWeather.

One storm will sweep through the Midwest, dumping 1-3 inches of snow in Chicago and across the Great Lakes region before moving east. A separate storm is expected to bring icy conditions to much of the South before hitting the Northeast.

If the two storms converge on Saturday as anticipated in the forecast, Accuweather projects intense snowfall, dangerous road conditions, and flight delays from the Mid-Atlantic to New England on a busy travel day.

The storms come on the heels of a much colder-than-average Christmas across the US. The National Weather Service is warning of "excessive" cold risk in Chicago and the Upper Midwest throughout New Year's Day, with temperatures sinking to -19 Farenheit with the windchill on Tuesday.

Temperatures across the Midwest and Northeast are expected to be well below average throughout the week and on New Year's Day as well.

A low jet stream is bringing Arctic winds across the region, which is why Accuweather has predicted that temperatures could be up to 20 degrees Farenheit below normal for this time of year in major cities like New York City, Philadelphia, and St. Louis.

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures aren't expected to rise much out of the 20s for the remainder of the week. And if the predictions hold true, New York City may see its third-coldest New Year's Eve since records were kept, with a low of 16 degrees Farenheit.

It's a good time to bundle up and stay inside.

pulse