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WEATHER
Polar Vortex

Cold snap targets East as record highs hit West for Valentine's Day

Doyle Rice
USA TODAY
A man makes his way along Central Ave in Humarock, Scituate, Mass., Monday, Feb. 8, 2016.

Whether you call it a polar vortex, Arctic blast or February freeze, one thing is for sure — it's going to be bitterly cold across the eastern half of the country this holiday weekend.

Through Sunday, temperatures will fall to zero or below for more than 50 million people from Maine to North Dakota to Virginia, WeatherBell meteorologist Ryan Maue said. It will be the coldest stretch so far this winter, the Weather Channel reported.

Forecast low temperatures on Valentine's Day could set records in several major cities, including Boston, Hartford, Conn., New York and Philadelphia. With the exception of the Great Lakes regions, little accumulating snow will accompany the cold blast.

While the East shivers, the West will bake in warmer weather from the Pacific Northwest to California and Arizona, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures will soar into the 70s and 80s in California and Arizona.

Across much of the East, wind chills will drop well below zero Saturday afternoon into Sunday amid strong, gusty winds, WeatherBug meteorologist Andrew Rosenthal said. In the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes regions and northern New England, wind chills could dip to 20 to 40 degrees below zero.

Such cold air is dangerous for people outdoors who aren't properly dressed. Frostbite on exposed skin can occur in as little as 10 minutes at those temperatures, according to the National Weather Service. It could also cause unprotected pipes to burst, water mains to rupture and vehicle batteries to die, AccuWeather said.

Even the mountains of northern Georgia will feel the chill as temperatures are forecast to drop to as low as 10 degrees there Sunday morning. The worst of the cold won't reach Florida, leaving the state's citrus crop out of harm's way.

By President's Day on Monday, the fierce cold snap will ease its grip on the East, bringing more typical mid-February temperatures.

Forecast high temperatures for Valentine's Day, Sunday Feb. 14.
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