As an arctic blast plunges into the country’s interior and southern regions, a snowfall is pushed into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, followed by deadly cold, and preparations are in motion.
Today, the National Weather Service issued important statements about the chilly environment, predicting “the coldest air of the season thus far, and in many cases the coldest in several years.”
According to official forecasters, only the areas west of the Rocky Mountains were immune to the cold air’s southward and eastward thrust due to high pressure over Canada.
Almost two-thirds of the U.S. population, or over 212 million people, were really under winter weather watches and alerts on Saturday night. These included severe cold watches, winter storm warnings, and winter weather advisories.
Weather service forecasters predict that a snowstorm and cold wave will move across Texas, the Gulf Coast, the Deep South, the Mid-Atlantic, the Northeast, and parts of New England. At the same time, the air mass was encountering friction amid the warmer air and fertile precipitation of the Deep South and Gulf Coast.
According to official forecasters, the storm front was predicted to produce snow in the Mid-Atlantic, along the Appalachians, and in the upper Ohio Valley on Sunday, as well as in the Northeast, where the storm would begin on Monday, even if thunderstorms are anticipated in certain areas of Florida and the Southeast.
In Tallahassee, Florida, the National Weather Service issued a warning of severe weather, heavy rain all day, and freezing temperatures beginning Sunday evening.
The meteorological service described the storm as an increasing cyclone in its forecast discussion on Saturday, predicting 3 to 8 inches of snow from West Virginia to the 95 corridor west of Interstate 95 in the metropolitan Northeast and extending north to Downeast, Maine.
Early in the upcoming workweek, the meteorological agency predicted that it would likely exit north and east into Canada’s New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
Temperatures will drop along with the storm.
According to the Warren, Michigan, weather service, temperatures in the Midwest will drop to 6 degrees below freezing by Tuesday evening. According to a statement, Warren Mayor Lori M. Stone announced a state of emergency on Saturday to speed up assistance for homeless individuals who might be at risk of contracting the deadly cold.
In a post on X, Columbus, Ohio’s Recreation and Parks Department announced that five community facilities would be used as warming stations.
Additionally, from Sunday evening through Wednesday morning, northern Indiana, southwest Michigan, and northwest Ohio could see temperatures as low as 25 degrees below zero, according to federal forecasters.
The meteorological service predicted that Chicago would have sub-zero wind chill temperatures late Saturday, with wind chill readings as low as 30 below zero overnight Monday through Tuesday. Residents were alerted about the possibility of frozen water pipes, river ice jams, and freezing spray for boaters navigating Lake Michigan and other waterways.
Chicago officials posted a list of the clinics that will open on Monday on the city’s website.
According to a statement from his office, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont asked residents to be ready as 600 snowplows were ready for duty and 4 to 10 inches of snow were predicted to fall beginning late Sunday afternoon.
“Now is the time for motorists to plan ahead and get to where they need to be before the snowfall begins on Sunday afternoon,” the governor stated in the statement. “Stay home if you can and watch football.”
The Emergency Management Department of New York City issued a winter weather notice on Sunday and Monday. Two to five inches of snow are predicted to accumulate during the storm, with higher amounts possible in isolated locations.
In a news release, the agency warned that travel conditions could be dangerous as temperatures are predicted to fall below freezing on Monday.
Snow is predicted on Sunday, and tomorrow night through Wednesday, the city will experience a chilly spell. According to a statement from New York City Mayor Eric Adams, city agencies will be following snow clearance procedures and contacting unsheltered New Yorkers to connect them to shelters in order to maintain safe and clean streets.
From Monday through Wednesday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued a warning about “feels like” temperatures in many parts of the state that might drop as low as 25 degrees. In a statement released on Saturday, she said, “I urge everyone to ensure that you and your family are ready for the snow and severe cold.”
The Buffalo Bills’ home field, Highmark Stadium, was predicted to see a low temperature of 15 degrees on Sunday morning as they play the Baltimore Ravens in a divisional round playoff game in Orchard Park, New York.
Governor Phil Murphy announced a state of emergency for all of New Jersey’s counties at 8 a.m. Sunday, citing the potential for 8 to 12 inches of snow in some areas, according to a statement.
Because of the potentially fatal cold blast, which the weather service predicts will cause wind-chill-enhanced temperatures as low as 25 below, Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced his city would join others in calling off commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life.
The mayor of Baltimore posted on Facebook, “We have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s MLK Day parade out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our participants and spectators,” because to the severe winter weather predicted for this weekend. I appreciate your support and understanding.
Many southern and sunbelt regions, where snow gear is uncommon, were also predicted to experience the cold.
Wind chill-enhanced temperatures, which measure for how the air feels when factors like wind are taken into consideration, could drop as much as 25 degrees below zero between midnight and midday on Sunday, according to federal forecasts in Houston.
At a news conference, Jeff Lindner, the meteorologist for Harris County, Texas, which is the county that houses Houston, stated that home preparations should be finished on Saturday because the prediction predicted for temperatures in the teens and 20s by Monday, which would be exacerbated by wind chill.
During the press conference, Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced that the city will be opening ten warming centers.
The National Weather Service predicted that from early Sunday to Monday afternoon, a cold-weather advisory will be in force for a large portion of central and southern Louisiana as well as southeast Texas.
A “hard freeze” is predicted to begin Monday north of Interstate 12 and expand to the whole region by Wednesday, according to the weather service office that serves New Orleans. Wind chill-enhanced temperatures of 5 to 15 degrees are anticipated.
LaToya Cantrell, the mayor of New Orleans, declared on Friday that Monday’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. parade and march will not go on. Due to the severe weather, city officials would instead hold a brief commemoration at the MLK memorial on Monday morning, she added.
According to the weather service office for Birmingham, wind chill temperatures in central Alabama are expected to be close to zero from Sunday evening into Monday. According to a statement from the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, seven warming facilities throughout the state began to operate on Saturday and will keep going online through Monday.
The National Weather Service predicted 8 to 12 degree temperatures for the Atlanta area, which, when wind chill is taken into account, may feel like minus 5. The area is under a chilly weather advisory through Sunday evening and early afternoon.
In a post on X, the agency requested that people start taking safeguards this weekend.
The Emergency Management Division of South Carolina warned citizens on Saturday to get ready for an Arctic air blast that is predicted to arrive by Sunday evening. It stated in a statement that snow and ice might affect areas of the state until Wednesday.