A significant blast of frigid Arctic air, driven by a polar vortex originating from Siberia, is poised to engulf millions of Americans this weekend and into next week. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), this severe weather event will lead to subzero and below-average temperatures affecting a wide swath of the United States. The NWS has issued extreme cold warnings and watches for areas including Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, and more, warning that dangerously low wind chills between 30 and 55 degrees below zero are anticipated, particularly in the northern regions. Donald Trump's inauguration this week has even been moved indoors due to the extreme weather, marking a rare occasion since 1985 for such a change (Newsweek). Forecasters predict that starting this Saturday, the dense Arctic air will cascade over the Rockies, plains, and eventually reach the East Coast by Sunday evening, bringing with it the coldest temperatures of the season thus far. The NWS noted that over 300 million Americans will experience below-average temperatures as the effects of the polar vortex spread across the country. Low temperatures will descend upon areas as far south as the upper Florida peninsula, with notable cities like Tampa predicted to see temperatures as chilly as 39 degrees Fahrenheit, even lower in Tallahassee. Health warnings have been issued advising the public to limit outdoor exposure, especially during the coldest hours of the day. The NWS has pointed out that the polar vortex is a significant area of low pressure usually found near the poles, which strengthens during the winter and pushes cold air towards the southern states. Meteorologists, including Jeff Berardelli from WFLA-TV who shared a temperature map, cautioned that some U.S. cities, including Fargo and Minneapolis, are likely to experience the steepest declines in temperatures, hitting lows around -34 and -32 degrees respectively. In addition, Chicago is bracing for a potentially brutal stretch of extreme cold, expecting temperatures to plunge below zero with life-threatening wind chills in the days to come (source). As this polar vortex approaches, residents are advised to prepare for a continuation of extreme conditions well into next week, with early indications that temperatures will begin to moderate only by the following Friday.