New Delhi, Dec. 5 -- Much of the central and eastern United States is expected to endure a prolonged stretch of bitter cold as a series of Arctic outbreaks move in. AccuWeather forecasts three separate polar vortex systems this month, each bringing sharp temperature drops, flurries and occasional snow squalls.

"This week will mark the first of probably three such rounds," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said on the company's website. "Another cold blast is likely next week and a third the week after that. The waves of Arctic air will lead to significant surges in energy demands."

Parts of the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains are already feeling the effects of air spilling in from Canada. On Thursday, December 4,...