Arctic Air Grips Most of the U.S., Bringing Snow and Record Cold to the South
One of this autumn’s coldest weather systems has swept across the United States, sending Arctic air deep into the eastern two-thirds of the country and affecting millions of Americans on Monday.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the cold front could shatter temperature records across the U.S. Southeast, including Florida — where some areas that were near 80°F (27°C) on Sunday are now bracing for near-freezing conditions.
The frigid air mass also brought gusty winds and red flag warnings across the Great Plains, while forecasters predicted 4 to 8 inches (10–20 cm) of snow for regions near the Great Lakes and Appalachian Mountains.
In areas around Lake Erie, meteorologists warned of intense lake-effect snow, where narrow bands of heavy snowfall can quickly blanket some communities while leaving nearby areas relatively untouched.
Cold weather advisories were issued for Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky, while freezing temperatures are expected to stretch even farther south — impacting parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Georgia in the coming days.
