Record Cold Grips Indore

The Indian city of Indore shivered through record cold this week with overnight lows hitting 8.7C (47.7F) on Monday, the lowest December reading in years. Daily highs of 22.1C (71.8F) were noted Tuesday—some 7C below normal.

By comparison, last year’s coldest December temp was 10.1C (50.2F), with 2023’s 11C (52.9F). Tuesday morning’s 8.7C (47.7F), according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), qualifies as a “severe cold day,” one intensified by icy winds.

The chill extended beyond Indore: Dhar saw 7.6C (45.7F); Khandwa 8C (46.4F); and Ratlam 8.4C (47.1F). Even notoriously warm districts like Khargone and Ujjain reached rare benchmarks, of 12C (53.6F) and 10C (50F), respectively.

The IMD has said the cold conditions will persist to the weekend—at least.

Asia Chills

Staying in Asia, the likes of Vietnam and China are expecting to endure returning polar air this week.

Northern Vietnam is set to experience a sharp drop in temperatures as a new cold air mass arrives Wednesday night. The plains will see temps tank to 14C (57F), while mountainous regions brace for a frigid 5C (41F), according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

The cold front will first hit eastern areas before sweeping across the Red River Delta and western regions.

Thermometers in Hanoi will drop steadily from 20C (68F) midweek to just 14C (57F) by Saturday, with high-altitude areas like Lao Cai’s Sa Pa struggling to 9C (48F) during the day and dipping to just 5C (41F) overnight—significantly below the 9.8C (49.6F) average.

“This cold spell will affect people’s health, as well as crops and livestock,” warned Nguyen Van Huong, head of the weather department. “Necessary measures should be taken to keep cattle, poultry, and crops warm.”

December has already delivered four cold waves to Vietnam, with even more icy spells anticipated as the month unfolds.

Similarly in China, anomalous cold, driven by a descending northeast monsoon, is set to crash southern parts of the country, with weekend temperatures in Hong Kong—for example—expected to drop to 10C (50F), according to the Hong Kong Observatory, marking a fall of 5C below the norm.

Inland locales will see starker cooling, with Tai Po, Ta Kwu Ling, and Shek Kong on course for single digit lows (C). Even coastal areas of Guangdong will feel the chill.

The Observatory has hinted that the issuance of the season’s first ‘cold weather warning’ is coming.

And looking north, the biting lows and building snows impacting Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and swaths of Russia will intensify:

Record Snowfall In Midwest

Joining the West, the Midwest is now also reveling in a burst of record-setting early-season snowfall.

Four feet in four days: A Thanksgiving storm set the stage across Michigan. Arctic air from a clipper ignited the lake-effect snow machine, resulting in historic totals.

In Gaylord, Dec 1 saw 24.8 inches in 24 hours, shattering the previous daily record of 17 inches set in 1942. By Dec 5, the city had accumulated a whopping 57 inches.

Owing to brutal temps and buckets of lake-effect snow, ski resorts across the region are off to a tremendous start…

Caberfae Peaks
Nicknamed the “Alta of the Midwest,” Caberfae Peaks opened December 6 with 37 inches of natural snow accumulating since Thanksgiving and 150+ hours of snowmaking. The resort is boasting better conditions than at any point last season.

Mt. Bohemia
Mount Bohemia opened December 7 with 46 inches of natural snow blanketing the slopes. Key areas like the Haunted Valley and Graveyard were fully open, while 35% of the Outback terrain is also ready for skiers.

Boyne Mountain
Boyne got a jumpstart, opening November 30 with one run before pausing mid-week for intensive snowmaking. By December 3, the resort had 22 runs open across 171 acres, serviced by five lifts.

Snowriver Mountain
The UP’s Snowriver Mountain Resort has been hard at work since November 22, combining over two feet of natural snowfall with 24/7 snowmaking. On December 6, the Jackson Creek Summit opened with the Voyageur Express accessing multiple trails.

Like the West, the Midwest’s snow season has kicked off with a bang—defying long-standing Establishment proclamations:

Another Round Of Arctic Air To Hit Much Of North America

Another surge of Arctic air is descending southward from Canada, poised to deliver record-setting temperatures and additional snowfall across a wide swath of the U.S., including the Great Lakes and beyond.

Chicagoland is preparing for its lowest lows of the season, with some December benchmarks under threat, but the cold will stretch far beyond Illinois, affecting millions with disruptive snow squalls and dangerous wind chills.

By midday Wednesday, an Arctic front will have arrived in the Midwest bringing with it gusty winds and bursts of heavy snow.

As the front clears overnight Wednesday, skies will clear and the mercury will tank. By Thursday morning, the single digits (F)—near zero in far western IL suburbs—will be widespread with wind chills as low as -15F. Another system Friday night into Saturday is expected to bring snow/freezing rain, further icing the roads.

This Arctic air mass will spread its chill far and wide, with southern Canada (AB, SK, MB) actually feeling the brunt:

In the U.S., the northern Plains, Midwest, and even parts of the South will experience stark anomalies.

Cities such as Minneapolis, Detroit, and St. Louis will face subzero wind chills, while states like Texas and Oklahoma bracing for disruptive, icy conditions.

By the weekend, the Ohio Valley and Northeast will be impacted, seeing subfreezing lows and significant snows.

Updates to follow…