Lots of cold weather could arrive in a couple weeks, even though the temperatures are warmer for a few days.High temperatures will reach the 40s through Thursday, then cool to the mid-and upper-20s, the National Weather Service in North Platte said Monday afternoon.
But long range, plenty of cold air could arrive in mid- to late-January, according to Accuweather.
"Near or just past the middle of the month, signs are pointing toward waves of frigid air moving southward across North America from the North Pole," Accuweather meterologist Alex Sosnowski said Monday.
A phenomenon known as sudden stratospheric warming has occurred in the arctic region during the past few days.
Often when this occurs, it forces cold air to build in the lowest layer of the atmosphere and then drive southward, accuweather said.
The exact timing and location of the emergence of cold air is uncertain, Sosnowski said. Typically, the cold air begins to move 10-14 days after the stratosphere warms.
"It is possible the cold will arrive in one big blast," Sosnowski said. "However, it is more likely the cold will advance along in waves of progressively colder air, with each wave driving farther south and east."
Once the cold air engine starts, it may run for quite a while with progressively colder and colder waves, accuweather said.
Energy may be released in the form of a series of storms riding the cold air, Sosnowski said.