From Atlanta, Georgia to Orlando, Florida, a Sudden Cold Wave Brings Freezing Weather to the Southeast

A warm start gives way to a sharp reversal

The Southeast began the year on a mild note. For days, winter felt distant. Then the pattern changed.

A surge of much colder air is spreading south across the region, sending temperatures tumbling and raising the risk of frost and freezes, even in parts of Florida. Meteorologists say the drop will be abrupt. In some locations, it will feel dramatic.

Temperatures fall well below normal

During the first 11 days of the month, many cities ran well above historical averages.
Charlotte, NC, Atlanta, GA, and New Orleans, LA averaged about 11 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than normal. In Jackson, MS, the anomaly reached 13.5 degrees above average.

A potent cold front is pushing through the southeastern United States, replacing mild air with a much colder mass. By Thursday, afternoon highs in some cities will be 20 to 25 degrees lower than earlier in the week.

Cold front sweeps through the region

As the front advances, winter reasserts itself.

High temperatures on Thursday are expected to reach only the 30s in Nashville, TN, and Atlanta, GA. Farther south, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Tallahassee, FL, are likely to top out in the lower 50s.

It is the coldest stretch many parts of the Southeast have seen since the final days of 2025.

Freezing nights reach into Florida

The most striking impacts arrive after sunset.

Cold air presses deep into Florida late this week, with chilly mornings beginning as early as Thursday in the northern part of the state. The cold peaks Thursday night, when temperatures drop sharply.

Forecast lows include:

• 20s in Jacksonville, FL, and Tallahassee, FL
• Lower 30s in Orlando, FL, and Lakeland, FL

Interior sections of central Florida face a high likelihood of a freeze, a rare event for midwinter residents accustomed to milder nights.

A larger pattern locks into place

Meteorologists say this is not a brief dip. The broader weather pattern setting up across the northern and eastern United States is expected to persist through much of the month.

A southward dip in the jet stream allows repeated surges of cold air to spill into the Great Lakes and the Northeast, reinforcing the chill farther south. Snow remains a factor well north of the Gulf Coast, but the cold air travels freely.

Snow stays north, chill spreads south

While Gulf Coast states are unlikely to see snowfall, winter makes its presence felt in other ways.

Snow could accumulate as far south as the Appalachians of North Carolina and Tennessee, while the Southeast endures persistent below-normal temperatures. The cold is expected to linger into early next week, keeping mornings crisp and nights cold.