KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Cold air has been pooling and building up over Northern Canada but a change in the large-scale pattern will allow that Arctic air to come pouring south into the Lower 48 late this week. And yes, we could feel some of that chill here in East Tennessee by the weekend.
The Polar Vortex is an area of low pressure and cold air in the upper levels of the atmosphere that strengthens over the North Pole during the winter season.
When upper-level winds are strong, the cold air stays up near the pole but when the winds weaken, Arctic Outbreaks can take place in the Lower 48.
Well ready or not, here it comes! Arctic air is expected to come pouring into the U.S. by the end of this week and yes, it is expected to reach East Tennessee.
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The Climate Prediction Center is already showing high confidence of below-average temperatures spreading from the Midwest through the Southeast from this weekend through early next week.
It should be noted that the darker colors on this map indicate higher confidence, not how far below average temperatures will actually be.
In this case, models are indicating that highs could be running as much as 10 to 20 degrees below the average for this time of year, which is 48 degrees.
The average low is 30 degrees so this is a heads up... it's about to get COLD next week!
We'll continue to refine the details as we get closer to that time frame so please check back for updates.