Severe weather is forecasted in parts of the U.S. in the coming days, including bone-cold wind in the Northern Plains and unusual snow and ice in the Gulf Coast region.
Inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.
Much of the US from the Rocky Mountains east into the Upper Midwest will experience colder-than-average temperatures starting Sunday and continuing through the next week, with forecasted wind chill readings as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 40 degrees Celsius) or colder in the Dakotas and northern Minnesota, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Marc Chenard.
In extremely cold weather, it’s possible for frostbite to set in on skin that’s exposed for as little as 10 minutes, so individuals should wear coats, hats, and gloves and limit their time outdoors, advised Connor Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Bismarck.
Comes from a disruption in the polar vortex, the ring of cold air typically trapped around the North Pole.
As the cold air moves south and east, it will mellow out, but the central and eastern U.S. will remain chilly with highs in the teens and 20s on Monday and into Tuesday, Chenard said. The Mid-Atlantic and Northeast will also have highs in the teens and 20s, but lows in single digits and sub-zero temperatures, with wind chills below zero.
“Cold weather will significantly affect many parts of the country, especially the Rocky Mountains and areas further east,” Chenard said.
The South
Unseasonable winter weather including snow, sleet, and freezing rain is forecast to impact Texas stretching into northern Florida and the Carolinas, he said. Effects are expected to begin in Texas on Monday night and then extend across the Gulf Coast and Southeast on Tuesday into Wednesday.
This next storm will be somewhat of a quick mover, but it’s still expected to bring some significant winter weather to areas that typically don’t experience it.
The effects near the coast could include freezing rain or sleet on roads, and primarily snow, along with potential sleet, inland, he said. The possibility of several inches of snow might cause travel issues for areas that typically do not receive snow, he said.
On Saturday, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the severe winter weather. He urged all Louisianans to be prepared and monitor the weather forecast closely.
The Mid-Atlantic and Northeast
Around the same time, it will snow in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. This is expected to begin in the Mid-Atlantic on Sunday, and spread to New York City and New England later in the day, according to Chenard. A brief, intense snowfall could bring anywhere from 2 to 8 inches.
This winter weather is to be expected in the region and will bring snowfall that is heavy enough to require snowplows, Chenard said. Drivers traveling east may encounter hazardous travel conditions, and some airports might experience disruptions, he said.
The prediction of snow and extremely cold weather led Baltimore authorities to cancel the annual Martin Luther King Jr. parade that was initially set for Monday.
Mayor Brandon Scott said on the social platform X that it was a “difficult decision” made out of an “abundance of caution for the safety of our participants and spectators.”
The cancellation marks the second year in succession that the parade has been halted due to fears about winter weather.
In Connecticut, Democratic Governor Ned Lamont has ordered the state to initiate its severe cold weather protocol, which will begin on Sunday at 6 p.m. and remain in effect until Friday at noon. That’s when temperatures are projected to remain below freezing during the day, while nighttime temperatures are expected to fall to single digits and possibly below zero.
When activated, the state’s severe cold weather protocol enables state agencies and local governments to work together with homeless shelters and a 24-hour hotline for community services to guarantee that anyone in need can find warmth and shelter from the outdoors, including transportation to safe places to stay.
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Correspondents Susan Haigh from Hartford, Connecticut and Gary Robertson from Raleigh, North Carolina.
