Grid operators overseeing power in 28 states are on high alert to shore up fuel supplies and brace for a spike in power demand as the Northeast and Midwest face an Arctic freeze this holiday weekend.
The frigid outbreak, the first of several expected through early February, is forecast to bring temperatures 15F to 30F below normal, with repeated waves of Arctic air pushing deep into the central and eastern U.S.
Grid operators, PJM Interconnection LLC and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, issued alerts Friday urging utilities and power generation owners to prepare ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, when the cold is expected to intensify.
The Northeast is forecast to feel some of the harshest cold early next week, with temperatures dropping to near single digits in the Boston area and the mid‑teens in New York. Strong wind chills could make conditions feel even colder.
PJM manages the largest electricity grid in the country across 13 states and Washington, D.C., while MISO manages 15 states, covering a large region from Louisiana up into the Canadian province of Manitoba. In all, the grid operators cover about one‑third of the U.S. population.
Meteorologists say a strong high‑pressure ridge is funneling winds from the Arctic Circle southward, driving the current cold outbreak. Cody Snell, of the U.S. Weather Prediction Center, said that these pulses of Arctic air will continue in waves over the coming weeks, interspersed with brief milder periods.
Snow is also possible in many areas as the cold front moves through. The Great Lakes region may see several inches, and light snowfall could reach parts of the Southeast, including Alabama and Georgia, as the extended cold pattern unfolds.
While large areas of the country freeze, the U.S. is experiencing unseasonably warm and dry conditions in other areas, straining ski resorts and raising wildfire risks. Parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado are under red‑flag fire warnings, and utilities in Colorado have announced planned power cuts to reduce fire danger in high‑wind, low‑humidity conditions.
In February 2021, a powerful Arctic blast known as Winter Storm Uri brought extreme cold, snow, and ice to Texas, triggering widespread power and water failures. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas ordered rolling outages to prevent a total collapse, but many lasted for days, leaving millions without heat, electricity or water.
The storm caused 246 deaths and resulted in an estimated $80 to $130 billion in economic damage, according to electricity company BKV Energy.
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