An unseasonably fierce polar vortex is sweeping across the United States, thrusting nearly twenty states into a deep freeze weeks ahead of schedule. As temperatures plunge 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit below normal,

New York City could see its first snow of the season on Tuesday as a powerful polar vortex sweeps across the eastern half of the country, bringing frigid temperatures.

With the season’s start just weeks away, meteorologists see many of the same conditions that led to one of the warmest winters on record last year for the Northern Hemisphere. Winter is the most turbulent time of year for weather,

A harsh drop in temperatures is being delivered to the eastern two thirds of the U.S. thanks to a polar vortex dipping down from the Arctic.

Next week’s pre-winter arctic plunge might be a sign of things to come for the Eastern U.S., as several key weather patterns will converge to bring early bone-chilling cold and potentially

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said iguanas can become either immobilized or sluggish when temperatures hit between 40 and 50 degrees. Longer cold snaps with overcast skies that prevent basking for warmth can be deadly as the paralyzed iguanas become easy prey to vultures, bobcats and coyotes.

A "shocking" Arctic blast – with temperatures more akin to mid-January than early November – is poised to overspread the eastern half of the U.S. starting around Nov. 8, sending tens of millions into an early deep freeze, USA TODAY reports.

However, this particular outbreak is a bit out of season, as the fiercest cold snaps are typically reserved for mid-winter. For example, Miami's all-time low temperature of 27 degrees was set on February 3, 1917, according to the National Weather Service.

The forecast calls for cold weather across the central and eastern U.S., with temperatures 10-15 degrees below average, federal forecasters say.

The odds of extreme cold this winter in the US, Asia and parts of Europe are climbing, threatening to boost energy bills for consumers already grappling with high costs and economic uncertainty. With the season’s start just weeks away,

Next week's pre-winter arctic plunge might be a sign of things to come for the Eastern U.S., as several key weather patterns will converge to bring early bone-chilling cold and potentially more snowstorms to the region.