This past weekend, portions of North Carolina were hit with ambient temperatures in the teens below zero. Additionally, on January 9, Grandfather Mountain reported wind gusts of more than 100 mph. And we’re sure you’ll remember that in December, some places in the mountains received more than 20 inches of snow – in under 24 hours.

All of this got us thinking: WHAT is going on with the winter weather this year, and just how long will this continue? You may find the answers a bit horrifying. Take a look below at the overall explanation and then get a peek at what we can expect, month-by-month, through April.

The best way to summarize what is going on is that the polar vortex (in this case, the spinning cone of low pressure over the North Pole) broke apart in the middle of January. Remember those unseasonably warm days in early January? You can thank the broken polar vortex for upsetting that apple cart for us.
Flickr/jurek d.
Back in August, when the Old Farmers Almanac released the winter weather prediction for 2019, warmer temps than usual were expected for most of North Carolina this winter. But the breaking up of the polar vortex dramatically changes those original predictions.
Flickr/Orlando Contreras López
Now, the entire state is expected to have much, much lower temperatures than usual all the way into early spring — including April.
Flickr/County of Dare

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A month by month analysis shows February will be downright frigid. Thanks to the break up of the polar vortex which usually keeps those frigid temps spinning in the atmosphere above the North Pole, those temps are fast-tracking southward to the Midwest and the East Coast. Expect temperatures well below normal from now until the end of February, the most bitterly cold month we'll see this year. February's unbearably low temps will be paired with much storminess, likely bringing a good amount of snowfall to the state.
Flickr/M Fletcher
March will roar in like a lion this year with February's frigid temps and snowy conditions continuing through the first couple of weeks before things settle to temperatures that are just below the norm for the end of March.
Flickr/Doug Kerr
Average temps in April are expected to be slightly lower than normal and we may finally begin to see the end of the bitterly frigid winter by the time we're several weeks into the spring season.
Flickr/Alex Ford

Bundle up, North Carolina. It’s going to be a bitterly cold ride (according to this report from weather.com), but just think of all the winter activities you’ll get to enjoy for the next several months! From snow tubing parks to skiing and other awesome winter activities, if we’re going to be hammered with a bitterly cold winter we can at least enjoy ourselves!

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