Whatever happens before Christmas thru the NY, weeklies are and have been (as Larry posted earlier), adamant with parking a trough over or near the GL insuring at least average temps for the bulk of January in the central and eastern Conus. And that WILL feel cold after the past few years.
10mb forecast maps on Gfs, Gefs, Gem, Geps, and Cfs are all indicating some hits over the next 2 weeks. But I don't think they constitute a major SSW. But maybe a precursor? Idk.
Yeah, this map would get my attention if I traded NG futures despite being at the end of the run.
P.s. there is cold before this, but not to this degree
Cfs thinks February will be Nino'ish with NN/BN temps across the northern tier into the MA and way AN precip. It's vacilated over recent weeks on February temps, but very consistent on AN precip.
Before the peanut gallery feels compelled to curse me, I'm the messenger and not the programmer. Lol