Arctic air edges into the Northern U.S. next week causing a long duration blizzard dumping >2 feet of snow centered on Minensota while a streak of substantial freezing rain and attendant ice accretion extends from central Wisconsin to northern New England.

The battle zone between the Canadian chill and lingering U.S. warmth is likely to cause a vigorous storm track that can pull pieces of the Canadian chill into the U.S. for brief periods of time. This scenario will lead to an increase in both freezing rain/icing and snowfall event POTENTIAL.

The Madden Julian oscillation shifts across the equatorial Pacific through the next 7-10 days weakening next week. The MJO may regenerate in the tropical Atlantic in March. If so, an upper trough could bring plentiful cold in Canada into the East U.S.

In today's midday 12Z GFS forecast the model delivers an arctic outbreak to the U.S. in 15-16 days. The event is supported by strong stratospheric warming. The outbreak could occur earlier based on the stratospheric warming evolution underway next week.