Many of us have been enjoying brisk walks outside and the scenic colors of fall, but that will abruptly change next week as the U.S. is expected to be hit with an arctic blast as part of a polar vortex moves southward.

There will be a drastic shift away from the current mild temperatures by early next week in the Central and Eastern States, where temperatures are predicted to drop 10-20 degrees below normal. Once the mild weather ends this Sunday, a vast pocket of extremely cold air will hit around Tuesday and stick around until next Friday.

"Areas from the northern and central Plains to the Great Lakes, the upper Gulf Coast and the Appalachians will feel significant impact from the Arctic outbreak," AccuWeather Long Range Expert Paul Pastelok said in a statement.

The cold air will feel the worst in Fargo, North Dakota, and Minneapolis to Chicago, St. Louis and Cincinnati.

However, parts of New England, from the Canadian border to New York and Maine, could receive snowfall. Southern states will also have to adjust to chilly days and cold nights.

In addition to the cold air, there will be gusty winds that will make AccuWeather RealFeel® temperatures plunge into the single digits and teens in the north, while areas in the south will dip into the 20s and 30s.

"It is possible single-digit low temperatures occur in parts of the northern Plains and the Upper Midwest, away from the Great Lakes with temperatures plunging to 20 degrees below average in parts of the South," Pastelok said. "A broad area of snow on the ground would result in significantly lower temperatures."

As a result, Americans in the North and Southern states are being warned to bundle up to take precaution against hypothermia and frostbite.

Back in January, the polar vortex prolonged a deep freeze in many Eastern States.

According to AccuWeather, "The polar vortex is a large pocket of very cold air, typically the coldest air in the Northern Hemisphere, which sits over the polar region. Occasionally, this pocket of very cold air can get dislodged farther south than normal, leading to cold outbreaks in Canada and the U.S."

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