Hello, world? Can I come out of hibernation yet?
Folks in the central and eastern United States who've endured weeks of bitter cold and snow are wondering: Is winter over? Will the polar vortex come back? Are we safe from the worst of winter's wrath?
Experts have some good news: “The most intense cold of the winter is largely behind the eastern and central states," AccuWeather lead long-range meteorologist Paul Pastelok said in an online forecast.
Forecasters say there's no sign of any intrusions of Arctic air across the central or eastern U.S. for the next couple of weeks, fortunately. In fact, no additional outbreaks of severe to extreme cold are expected for the rest of the winter, according to AccuWeather long-range experts.
Weather Trader meteorologist Ryan Maue also has good news: "Heading into the final week of February — the main polar vortex cold pool reservoir remains largely locked up over Canada north of the Arctic Circle," Maue said in an e-mail to USA TODAY. "It really looks like we're turning the corner on winter − into the home stretch," he added on X on Feb. 11.
