The Northwest Pacific Storms page said that a very strong cold core will be active in Siberia (Russia) and Mongolia during the period from January 24-25 (25-26 Tet).
The pressure values from two international weather models from Europe and the US both reached levels ranging from 1070-1080 mbar (a rare strong pressure level of cold air masses).
It is forecasted that by around January 26-27 (27-28 of Tet), cold waves from the southeastern edge of the core zone will spread to our country. The intensity when they spread will have continuous changes according to the forecast of upcoming international weather models.
A cold front from Siberia is also affecting tens of millions of people across the United States, according to the AP. Most Americans are about to experience an unprecedented cold snap. A disruption in the polar vortex has pulled arctic air from Siberia across North America, causing record low temperatures in many areas, including Washington, D.C.
According to Judah Cohen, a meteorologist at Atmospheric Environmental Research, the cold air is coming from the elongation of the polar vortex, a circle of cold air that is usually trapped around the North Pole. When this vortex is "stretched", cold air from Siberia will move across the Arctic and down to North America.
“This is going to be one of the coldest we’ve seen in 10 to 15 years. This air mass starts in Siberia and ends in the United States, bringing with it extreme cold,” Cohen said.
Cold air has begun to affect the Rockies and is spreading rapidly eastward and into northern Florida. More than 280 million Americans could experience temperatures colder than Anchorage, Alaska, in the next day or two.
In Washington D.C., the temperature on January 20 - the day of President Donald Trump's inauguration - is expected to drop to just -6 degrees Celsius, the lowest since President Ronald Reagan's inauguration in 1985 (-14 degrees Celsius).
About 80 million people across the United States could face sub-zero temperatures during the cold snap. By the morning of January 21, the average temperature across the United States could drop to -14 degrees Celsius, according to meteorologist Ryan Maue.
Areas from Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, Ohio, to Pittsburgh are expected to be hardest hit. Temperatures will plummet, especially at night when winds are calm and snow is heavy. The Gulf Coast and northern Florida could also see rare freezes.
Scientists, including Cohen, say polar vortex disruptions have become more frequent in the past decade, possibly due to climate change. Lower temperatures and pressure in the Arctic alter the flow of polar vortex winds, causing cold air to flow to lower regions.
While it’s unclear how long the cold spell will last, forecasters say below-normal temperatures could continue through the end of the month. Polar vortex-like conditions could return in early February.
