First Taste of Winter: Arctic Air to Sweep Across the U.S., Bringing Freezing Temperatures and Early Snow

A Sudden Taste of Winter

The calm, mild stretch of autumn is about to end. A mass of Arctic air is charging out of the north, set to plunge much of the United States into its first true taste of winter.

It begins this weekend, when a powerful cold front will push frigid air from near the North Pole into the northern United States, spreading south and east through Monday. By then, nearly every state east of the Rockies will feel temperatures 10 to 20 degrees below normal.

The chill will be sharp. The air will sting. And for millions, it will be the coldest weather since last spring.

The Big Chill Spreads South

Cold air will sweep in waves, with each region feeling its punch at a different time:

• Friday night-Saturday: Northern Plains and Upper Midwest
• Sunday: Central Plains, TN Valley, Midwest, and interior Northeast
• Monday: The South, including the northern Gulf Coast, northern Florida, and East Coast

By Saturday, the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest will already be in the deep freeze. Minneapolis, MN, will see highs near 38°F, a sharp drop from the 40s the day before. Pockets of sleet or a brief rain-snow mix could mark the first signs of the shift.

On Sunday, the cold tightens its grip. From Chicago, IL, to St. Louis, MO, highs will stall near 40°F, about 15 degrees colder than normal. Winds will make it feel even colder.

Then comes Monday - the true heart of the Arctic outbreak. Temperatures will plunge below freezing across the Appalachians, into Texas, and along the Gulf Coast. Even northern Florida could wake up to readings in the 30s.

A Freeze From North to South

The chill will hit hard across the Great Lakes and Northeast. In Buffalo, NY, Monday’s low could fall into the 20s, and highs may barely reach the mid-30s. Farther south, Nashville, TN, will start the morning below freezing before climbing only to the mid-40s. That is nearly 20 degrees colder than average for early November.

Atlanta, GA, will go from mid-60s on Sunday to mid-40s Monday. By Tuesday morning, temperatures there could tumble to the upper 20s - the city’s coldest since February.

Along the East Coast, cities from Washington, D.C., to New York City, NY, will shiver under the same Arctic air. Morning wind chills could dip into the low 20s, turning commutes into a frosty battle against the wind.

Winter’s First Snowflakes

The blast of cold air will do more than drop temperatures. It will also bring the season’s first snow to parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes.

As the front crosses the lakes, warm water and cold air will combine to ignite bands of lake-effect snow beginning late Sunday. Accumulations are likely in Michigan, northern Indiana, Ohio, northwest Pennsylvania, and western and central New York.

Farther west, cities such as Chicago, Milwaukee, and Rochester, MN, may see a mix of rain and wet snow, though most of it will melt on contact. In the Appalachians, snow could dust higher elevations in West Virginia and western Maryland, marking an early hint of what is to come.

Most roads should stay wet during the day, but after sunset, icy patches may form as temperatures plunge. Grassy areas, rooftops, and parked cars could wear their first white coat of the season by Monday morning.

A Short-Lived Freeze

The Arctic blast will not last long. After a bitter start to the week, the cold air will lift out just as quickly as it arrived. By Tuesday, warmer air will spread across the central United States, and the East Coast will follow on Wednesday.

But even a brief burst can make an impression. For many, this will be a jarring reminder that autumn’s end is near - and that winter, with its long nights and biting winds, is waiting just around the corner.