Mind-boggling cold on tap for Monday night into Tuesday

    You thought Friday night was bad? Even more intense mind-boggling cold arrives Monday night into Tuesday morning as the “polar vortex” invades. 

    There will be sharp difference in temperatures between daytime Monday and Tuesday. Overnight low temperatures will range from around 0° in northern areas to near 10° far south, according to the National Weather Service. Wind chill values will be around the -20°s in northern areas and -5° to -15° elsewhere for Monday night until Tuesday morning.

    The image above is 18z GFS forecast model for 7 a.m. Tuesday (5,000-feet above sea level, but representative of the cold), indicating the super dangerous weather. Temperatures will then begin to moderate on Wednesday, possibly reaching around 50 degrees in southern areas on Saturday. 

    The polar vortex is an intense area of cold low pressure residing in the Arctic region that rarely fully invades the United States, according to Climate Central’s Andrew Freedman. 

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    “1994 is the last one that comes to mind when we talk about big Arctic outbreaks and a lot of below zero temperatures,” Robert Oravec, a NWS meteorologist, told Climate Central on Thursday. 

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