Brutal cold to freeze NYC as arctic air infiltrates America

NEW YORK - A blanket of snow and frigid temperatures settled into the tri-state area Monday, leaving people from South Jersey to Rockland County shoveling snow.

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures are expected to drop into the low 20s this evening, with blistery winds of 15 to 20 mph making it feel as low as 10 degrees.

Temperatures will be in the 20s on Tuesday morning, with areas north and west of the city falling into the low teens before only warming up into the upper 20s to low 30s with strong winds continuing. 

The cold snap is expected to last for several days, said Jon Palmer, a weather service meteorologist based in Gray, Maine.

The brutal cold is expected to grip the Eastern Seaboard as far south as Georgia, with temperatures dropping into the low single digits (minus 15 to minus 17 Celsius) in some coastal areas, Palmer said.

While it won't be historic, record-setting cold, weather models indicate it will still be dangerous for those caught outside without proper clothing, the FOX Forecast Center warns. These frigid temperatures are expected to remain in place across the eastern half of the country for at least the next two weeks.

A look at the temperature outlook in the Lower 48 next week. (FOX Weather)

The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually spins around the North Pole, but it sometimes plunges southward into the U.S., Europe and Asia. Studies show that a fast-warming Arctic is partly to blame for the increasing frequency of the polar vortex extending its grip.

Air and rail travel snarled

More than 2,500 flights were canceled nationwide, while at least 6,500 more were delayed nationwide as of Monday morning, according to tracking platform FlightAware. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport reported that about 58% of arrivals and 70% of departures had been canceled.