Arctic Blasts: What to Know, When to Expect Them, and When They'll Finish

If you reside in a region of the U.S. where you must routinely shovel snow from the front yard, you're likely wondering if the worst of the winter weather is behind you as the spring season approaches. With weather patterns evolving and wreaking havoc in some parts of the country and causing unseasonably warmer weather in others, it is crucial to know if you should prepare for an "arctic blast."

If you are unfamiliar with the term "arctic blast," keep reading — and learn how to keep yourself and your family safe as winter storms hit.

Yes, an arctic blast is arriving in the U.S. throughout February 2025. According to Scientific American, a rush of cold air blowing from the Arctic — hence the aptly named Arctic blast — was poised to drop temperatures throughout parts of the U.S., including wind chill factors below zero degrees.

“It will be a very impressive—certainly one of the most impressive Arctic outbreaks of this century anyway,” climate scientist Judah Cohen told Scientific American.

NPR reported on Feb. 17 that bitterly cold Arctic air was being thrust down from Canada to the central states in the U.S.

The result? Freezing temperatures throughout the U.S., including below-zero wind chills in Texas; freezing temperatures in the Gulf Coast; and the prospect of more than eight inches of snow across Kansas and Missouri, plus four inches of snow in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia.

Furthermore, life-threatening temperatures could be experienced in parts of North Dakota, and experts predicted wind chills between 30- and 60 degrees below zero in the Great Plains, per NPR and the National Weather Service in North Dakota.

As if that weren't enough, many temperature records are poised to be broken in the week ahead.

Another arctic blast is coming, and according to The Weather Channel, more than 100 daily record low temperatures could be broken between Feb. 18 and Feb. 21.

Frostbite and hypothermia, experts say, could develop in fewer than 15 minutes in some parts of the U.S., so individuals should wear protective garments and limit exposure outside whenever possible.

According to additional reporting by The Weather Channel, the arctic blast will precede Winter Storm Kingston, which will affect some southern and central U.S. states before heading to the East Coast.

Arctic blasts occurred in succession throughout the month of January, according to AccuWeather.

It has not yet been reported by The Weather Channel or other authorities whether more arctic blasts are on the horizon after the mid-February blasts. As for the frequency of the current arctic blasts, however, experts say that polar vortexes may be tied to the ongoing climate crisis, per Axios.

Though, as one article in MLive predicts, warmer weather awaits once the calendar transitions to March.