Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: East braces for winter blast as life-threatening cold sweeps across US
Top weather news for Friday, Jan. 17, 2025: Another winter storm set to dump snow on the East this weekend as major cities across the Great Lakes and I-95 corridor brace for the coldest air of season. Meanwhile, to the south, ice is the main concern as freezing rain could make it all the way to the Gulf Coast.
Weather in America: January 17, 2025
FOX Weather has you covered with the breaking forecasts and weather news headlines for your Weather in America on Friday, January 17, 2025. Get the latest from FOX Weather Meteorologist Craig Herrera.
Welcome to the Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather. It’s Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Start your day with everything you need to know about today's weather. You can also get a quick briefing of national, regional and local weather whenever you like with the FOX Weather Update podcast.
Polar vortex to blast US with life-threatening cold next week
Most of the U.S. enjoyed warmer air to end the workweek, but the warmup will be brief as a polar vortex will send temperatures tumbling below freezing for most of the nation starting this weekend.
How cold?
Minneapolis had a forecast high temperature of about 34 degrees Thursday, but on Sunday, the forecast high temperature is a frigid 3 degrees below zero.
"Perfect time to hop on a plane and go somewhere south," FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said. "Like, really, really far south."
Coldest temperatures in years expected next week for most of the eastern half of America
A polar vortex will bring down temperatures by as much as 45 degrees below average, which will lead to below zero temperatures across no less than 20 states from the Northern Plains to the Great Lakes and interior Northeast. All Lower 48 states, and over 80% of its inhabitants, will see temperatures drop below freezing.
Death toll climbs to 27 from California fires as return home for thousands of evacuees uncertain
While Californians and Angelenos are experiencing a temporary reprieve from the intense wildfire danger that has plagued the region for the past nine days, the return home for thousands of evacuees remains uncertain amid the somber news of a rising death toll.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner now reports that at least 27 people died in the Palisades and Eaton fires, with 31 people still missing.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said during a news conference Thursday that the repopulation of all evacuated areas will not occur for at least one more week.
Watch: Houses destroyed in aerial video of Palisades Fire aftermath
Destroyed homes and scorched palm trees and vegetation are left behind in drone video of Malibu after the Palisades Fire.
Weather whiplash: Winter storm systems to sweep across East this weekend ahead of massive arctic outbreak
After a brief pause in the arctic air during the end of the workweek, a series of frontal boundaries will help usher in the coldest air of the season, beginning over the weekend and continuing into the upcoming week.
Unlike classic episodes where blizzards and severe weather often form the demarcation line between air masses, the upcoming storm systems aren’t expected to be overly organized when they approach the eastern U.S., leading to light to occasionally moderate amounts of precipitation.
Between the two storm systems, a maximum of 1-3 inches of snowfall is expected for parts of the Northeast, while 1-3 inches of rainfall is expected in the warm zone over the Southeast.
Chances increasing for significant snow to impact I-95 corridor
The FOX Forecast Center is monitoring multiple systems that are set to bring a mix of heavy rain and snow to the eastern third of the country starting Saturday and continuing through Monday.
Watch: SpaceX Starship test flight disintegrates after launch
SpaceX’s attempt at a test mission involving its prized Starship spacecraft appeared to end in disaster Thursday after debris was spotted raining down to Earth by bystanders in the Caribbean.
The private space company’s launch from Southeast Texas appeared to go off without a hitch at 4:37 p.m. local time, but just 10 minutes into the flight, data failed to return to mission control, signaling a potentially catastrophic anomaly.
Debris from SpaceX launch spotted over Atlantic Ocean
SpaceX’s attempt at a test mission involving its prized Starship spacecraft appeared to end in disaster on Thursday after debris was spotted raining down to Earth by bystanders in the Caribbean.
Before you go
Here are a few more stories you might find interesting.
- Drone video captures Malibu's apocalyptic damage after Southern California firestorm
- Mudslide risk presents double-edged sword for California wildfire victims as wettest month looms
- Army veteran's simple purchase saved home against wildfire in Southern California
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