A frigid grip will continue across the eastern half of the country through Saturday, with another surge of arctic air expected. For some, these will be the coldest temperatures of the season.
A frigid grip will continue across the eastern half of the country through Saturday, with another surge of arctic air rushing in behind a powerful winter storm sweeping across the northern tier. For some, the incoming air mass will provide the coldest temperatures of the season so far.
In the meantime, more than 200 million people across the Lower 48 states are waking up to temperatures below freezing Wednesday morning, the FOX Forecast Center said.
“These chilly temperatures are extending all the way down to the South,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said. “So there’s a lot of us in company.”
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Across the northern Plains, these bitterly cold temperatures are joining breezy conditions to produce frigid wind chills well below zero. Farther south, subfreezing temperatures extend all the way into Florida, where Freeze Warnings are in effect.
“If you live in Fargo, North Dakota, you know what it feels like to be in the negative territory of the single digits because that is your reality once you really get in the thick of winter,” Merwin said. “But for folks that live down South, we’re not always used to having cold air.”
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Wednesday afternoon’s temperatures will be a few degrees higher than earlier in the week, but still plenty cold, the FOX Forecast Center said.
This “warmup” won’t last long, as a powerful arctic cold front is already surging south, bringing a fresh influx of arctic air behind a powerful winter storm.
Once again, temperatures will drop well below average from the Plains to the East Coast. Daytime highs from the Upper Midwest into the East could be 10-20 degrees below average.
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The cold will peak Friday morning when temperatures in the teens may be felt as far south as northern Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.
“This is a good time of year to check your carbon monoxide monitors in your home and make sure that your fireplace is cleaned out, so you’re staying warm in a safe way,” Merwin advised.
Warmer temperatures will return next week.