An unusually strong and late in the season Arctic outbreak has its grips on the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. today. Luckily, the frigid temperatures begin to lose their grip on much of the country after today. Numerous cities will see cold temperatures records challenged or broken today.
A strong polar jet stream and an intense Canadian high pressure system will combine to cause this extreme cold outbreak for areas east of the Rockies. The heart of the Arctic air will be found over the Central and Northern Plains today, with the Great Lakes, the Appalachians and the Northeast downright frigid as well. When all is said and done, temperatures will range anywhere from 10 to 30 degrees below normal for this time of year!
While the heart of the cold is found over the Plains, far colder than normal air will be found across Texas, the Deep South, the Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic as well. Low temperatures this morning will drop to below zero as far south as northeastern Oklahoma and most of Missouri and as far east as western Wisconsin and much of Illinois. Single digits and teens will extend into northern Texas, the Lower Mississippi Valley and Mid-South. Twenties and lower 30s will occur along the Gulf Coast, Georgia and the Carolinas. The Mid-Atlantic, coastal New England and the Great Lakes will experience teens and single digits this morning while interior portions of New England and New York state will be in the single digits both above and below zero.
Numerous record low temperatures will be at risk this morning. This includes Oklahoma City which we see a low temperature near 4 degrees above zero. This low temperature would shatter the daily record of 9 degrees set in 1918. Tulsa, Okla., is forecast to have a low temperature of 0 degrees this morning, which would demolish the record of 9 degrees set also in 1918. It seems like 1918 had quite a late winter cold snap in the southern Plains! With a forecast low of 14 degrees, the record low of 19 degrees set in 1939 in Dallas will be broken. Even Houston will come close to breaking its record low for the day, with a forecast low of 26 degrees compared to the record of 25 degrees set in 1908.
A huge swath of Extreme Cold Warnings are in effect throughout the Plains into parts of the Mid-Mississippi and Tennessee valleys this morning. Cold Weather Advisories have also been issued throughout the rest of the Plains, Mississippi Valley, Midwest and Deep South. Cities included in one of these cold weather alerts include Kansas City, Mo., Oklahoma City, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston and Brownsville, Texas, St. Louis, New Orleans, Jackson, Miss., Birmingham, Ala., and Pensacola, Fla. It will be so cold that southern Texas. Northern Florida and southern and southeastern Georgia have Freeze Warnings in effect.
By Friday morning, the coldest temperatures will be centered over the Upper Mississippi Valley. Here, temperatures will be as low as minus 15 degrees. A major concern though will be the bitter cold sticking around the Deep South and Gulf Coast. Record low temperatures will be at risk here, where temperatures easily drop into the 20s.
Try to avoid being outdoors during the extreme cold, but if you absolutely need to, be sure to dress in layers, cover all exposed skin, limit time outdoors, and bring those pets indoors. Check for the latest tips and forecasts on WeatherBug.com.