This weekend, about 33 million people find themselves under winter alerts as a severe cold front sweeps through the southeastern United States. Residents of Florida are particularly affected as they prepare for unusually cold temperatures, while snow is expected in the southern Appalachians and parts of the Southeast.
Record low temperatures are anticipated across several Florida cities, including Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami, and Gainesville. Miami, in particular, could experience its coldest temperatures in over a decade, with forecasts suggesting an overnight low of around 35 degrees Fahrenheit. For Florida, this could lead to a damaging freeze, with wind chills dipping to the single digits in the north and the teens in central parts of the state.
Snowfall is already occurring in regions such as the Carolinas, eastern Tennessee, northeast Georgia, and southern Virginia, and is expected to intensify throughout the day. While there is a dry patch in central North Carolina that might limit snow accumulation in Raleigh, other eastern areas are projected to receive between 6 to 12 inches of snow by Sunday morning. Coastal areas will experience potent, gusty winds, leading to near-blizzard conditions that significantly reduce visibility and create hazardous situations.
Moreover, the strong winds heighten the risk of coastal flooding, with the possibility of 2 to 4 feet of inundation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The storm system is predicted to intensify and extend its reach by Sunday as it moves out over the Atlantic, impacting Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
The projected snowfall amounts include 4 to 8 inches in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, while Atlanta might see around 0.5 to 2 inches. On Sunday, the rest of the Northeast can expect dry, windy, and bitterly cold conditions.
Arctic temperatures and record-breaking cold
Over 160 million individuals are under cold weather alerts as of Saturday morning, covering areas from the Northeast to southern Florida. This arctic air mass is causing temperatures to plunge 10 to 30 degrees below average, with significant effects observed from the southern Plains to the East Coast. Across the Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Northeast, temperatures will struggle to rise beyond the teens and 20s.
The freezing conditions extend into much of Mississippi, Louisiana, and northern Georgia. In Miami, the arrival of a fresh wave of frigid air on Sunday could result in another drop in temperatures. Although temperatures are anticipated to rise slightly on Monday, they will still remain below average across the East Coast for much of the following week.