A powerful surge of frigid Arctic air is sweeping across the United States, triggering widespread weather warnings as it threatens to bury parts of the nation in snow and plunge temperatures to record-breaking lows. Meteorologists have issued stark travel advisories, stating conditions on the roads could range from dangerous to impossible.
Widespread Disruption and Record Lows
The National Weather Service reports that this bitter cold front is engulfing the eastern two-thirds of the country. The dramatic temperature shift is particularly acute in the US Southeast; in Florida, residents were enjoying balmy conditions near 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) just a day before the cold arrived. Forecasters now predict wind chills in the state will feel like the 30s Fahrenheit (around minus 1 degree Celsius).
This sudden chill has an unusual consequence for the Sunshine State: the potential for frozen iguanas. These invasive reptiles are known to enter a state of suspended animation and fall from trees when temperatures dip below 40 degrees F (about 4 degrees C), typically reviving once the sun's warmth returns.
Heavy Snow and Hazardous Travel Conditions
The cold air, which reached the Great Plains on Monday, is bringing gusty winds and significant snowfall. The Great Lakes and Appalachian Mountain regions are bracing for accumulations of 4 inches (10 centimeters) to 8 inches (20 centimeters).
Areas near Lake Erie are under specific threat from lake-effect snow, a phenomenon capable of dumping copious amounts of snow in narrow, unpredictable bands. Meanwhile, the situation is critical in northeast Illinois, where meteorologists warn that snow accumulating faster than 3 inches (8 centimeters) per hour will make road travel perilous.
Winter weather advisories are in effect across several states:
- Michigan's Upper Peninsula saw snow on Sunday, with predictions of up to a foot (30 centimeters) by Monday and concerns over low visibility.
- Indiana could see up to 11 inches (28 centimeters) of snow, creating slippery road surfaces.
- Parts of Wisconsin may receive up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of snow.
Deep Freeze Reaches the Midsection and South
The cold has already gripped the nation's heartland. Portions of Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota are experiencing patchy blowing snow and wind chills hovering near zero. Some areas have already been hit, with 4 inches (10 centimeters) of snow in southwest Minnesota and over 5 inches (13 centimeters) in northern Iowa.
Cold weather and freeze warnings have been issued for a vast area, stretching from Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky down through a large swath of the South, including Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Georgia. In Arkansas, meteorologists delivered a definitive message to gardeners, stating the freeze warning marks the end of the growing season and urging them to take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.
