Arctic blast forecast to bring extreme cold across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic through February 11
A powerful Arctic blast is forecast to bring extreme cold and dangerous wind chills across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic from the weekend into the second week of February. Below-normal temperatures and record lows are expected in some areas, with the cold forecast to persist until February 11, 2026.
Satellite image of the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic at 13:10 UTC on February 3, 2026. Credit: NOAA/GOES-19, Zoom Earth, The Watchers
A powerful Arctic Blast is forecast to bring extreme cold and dangerous wind chills across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic over the weekend into the second week of February.
Below-normal temperatures, along with record lows, are expected in some areas. Gusty winds and sub-zero wind chills will worsen the conditions across the region starting this week.
The extreme cold is forecast to linger across parts of the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast until February 11, according to the Weather Prediction Center (WPC).
Forecast uncertainty remains about the exact time and impacts of the Arctic outbreak, with a more detailed forecast expected in the coming days.
Currently, a low-pressure system is forecast to bring rain and thunderstorms from Texas across the South and Southeast, reaching the Gulf Coast and Southeast by February 3. Showers and thunderstorms will then move into Florida on February 4.
Light wintry precipitation is forecast from the upper Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic, starting on February 3 and will begin to taper off by February 5. Showers and some thunderstorms are forecast to move through the Southeast on the night of February 4, before reaching into the Florida Peninsula by the morning of February 5, ahead of a cold front trailing from the low-pressure wave.
An Alberta clipper is forecast to bring light snow flurries to the Great Lakes, as anomalous warmth spreads across the Northern High Plains by February 5.
This comes just after a powerful nor’easter brought historic snow to the Carolinas and deep winter cold across much of the eastern United States over the past weekend. The storm disrupted travel, caused power outages, and extended freezing conditions into Georgia and Alabama.
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I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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