Early Winter Weather Brings Big Chill to Over 100 Million Americans
Parts of the lower-third of the U.S. are likely to see their first glimpse of winter as below-average temperatures set in at the tail of the weekend and start of the work week. Tallahassee, Florida, is likely to see its first freeze before New York City does.
Over 100 million Americans from Boston to Tampa will get an early taste of winter this week, thanks to a sweeping cold front that will bring the coldest air of the season starting Sunday and lasting into next week. The bizarre, big chill will bring frosty temperatures that span across a majority of the continental US, with areas in the Southeast seeing possible record low temperatures next week.
Even Tallahassee, Florida is forecast to reach a freezing low by Tuesday morning, which would see the Southeast city’s first freeze ahead of New York City. A strong area of low pressure will move out of Canada and set the stage for a monumental shift in weather across much of the country.
This graphic displays the temperature outlook through Tuesday. (FOX Weather)
Cold Front to Bring Temperatures 15 to 25 Degrees Below Average
By Saturday, a strong dip in the jet stream will continue to pivot through the Great Lakes and Northern Tier, digging farther south and east into Sunday and Monday, according to the FOX Forecast Center. At the same time, a surface low will develop across the Midwest and track northeast, accompanied by a large, sweeping cold front.
From the Plains to the East Coast, temperatures are expected to run 15 to 25 degrees below average, and when night rolls around, over 170 million Americans across 35 states will see temperatures drop below freezing.
This graphic displays temperatures across the east on Monday. (FOX Weather)
Wind Chills to Drop Temperatures to Single Digits in Some Areas
On Sunday, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota could wake up to wind chills in the single digits on Sunday. The big chill comes as the Great Lakes are forecast to see over one foot of snow in one of the first significant winter weather events of the season.
To make matters worse, wind chills will drop temperatures across the Midwest and in the interior Northeast to the teens.
Early Freeze to Linger Into Next Week
Keep your winter coats, gloves, and scarves out as the cold air will stick around throughout most of the week, bringing the coldest temperatures of the year to most major cities in the Eastern US.
This graphic displays the last freeze in major cities in the Eastern US. (FOX Weather)
On Monday, the cold air will expand east from the Plains and reach the Appalachians. Cities including Minneapolis, St. Louis, Detroit and Pittsburgh will be waking up to temperatures in the 20s, while cities like Atlanta, Dallas, and Nashville will be greeted with temperatures in the 30s.
FILE: Millions of Americans will be forced to bundle up this week as the coldest air of the season, a part of a big chill, will bring frost and freeze to the Eastern US into next week. (STAN HONDA/AFP / Getty Images)
Big Chill to Reach Deep South, Bringing Frost and Freeze
The big chill will even reach into the Deep South, gusting winds between 20 and 35 mph will make it feel even colder than it is, as temperatures in Atlanta and Birmingham could remain in the 30s.
The first big freeze of the season is on the way to Florida next week, as the eastern half of the US is expected to feel the coldest temperatures since winter. FOX 35 Orlando Meteorologist Laurel Blanchard and FOX 13 Tampa Meteorologist Jim Weber joined FOX Weather to discuss how Floridians are preparing for the big chill heading to the South.
Overnight lows will drop to well below average for the entire South, according to the FOX Forecast Center. Numerous record lows are now possible across the Southeast, including portions of Southeast Florida by Tuesday.
This graphic displays areas that could see record lows this cold front. (FOX Weather)
Jacksonville, FL, Huntsville, AL, Savannah, GA and Meridian, MI are among areas in the Southeast that are forecast to come close to, tie or break century-old low temperature records Tuesday morning, as the potential for frost and freeze will expand across most of the Southeast.
This graphic displays the last freeze in major cities in the Southeast. (FOX Weather)
Even in central Florida, temperatures will drop 15 to 20 degrees below average on Monday and Tuesday. Temperatures in Tampa and Orlando will go from the mid 80s on Sunday, and drastically dip down to near 40 degrees on Tuesday morning, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
The taste of winter will be short-lived, as temperatures begin to return to average by mid-week. For more information, visit Here
Image Source: www.foxweather.com
