Millions across the US brace for plummeting temperatures and winter storms

Snow on the Gulf Coast

The colder temperatures will dip into the South early this week, where as many as 30 million people starting Monday could see a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain. The unusual conditions are expected to stretch from Texas into northern Florida and the Carolinas.

Winter storm warnings were in effect in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida panhandle on Monday. The storm was expected to impact Texas on Monday evening, then spread eastward through Wednesday morning with heavy snow expected along and to the north of the Interstate 10 corridor with sleet and freezing rain in south Texas and southeast Georgia and northern Florida.

Numerous freeze warnings were in place in northern Florida and along much of the Gulf Coast. Forecasters warned the sub-freezing morning lows will pose a risk to sensitive vegetation and exposed plumbing in areas not accustomed to harsh winter temperatures.

The weather service warned that major traffic and travel disruptions were likely since these areas are not accustomed to impactful winter weather. Both William P. Hobby Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston announced on Sunday night that flight operations would be suspended Tuesday in anticipation of hazardous conditions. Widespread sub-freezing overnight lows were forecast along the Gulf Coast from Monday night through the rest of the week and the weather service warned that power outages were possible in areas of significant snow and ice, which could exacerbate the impacts of the cold weather.

The unusually cold temperatures and storm spurred officials in New Orleans to cancel an event they had planned Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Day. New Orleans residents woke up to below freezing temperatures Monday as the arctic blast moved into the region.

Return of the Arctic blast

Much of the Eastern Seaboard will be enduring some of the coldest temperatures this winter.

An area from the Rockies into the Northern Plains will see colder than normal weather over several days, with temperatures forecast to drop to between minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 34 degrees Celsius) to minus 55 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 48 degrees Celsius) on Monday. Sub-zero wind chills are forecast to reach as far south as Oklahoma and the Tennessee Valley.

Minnesota residents were urged to wear appropriate clothing and carry a survival kit for travel. Kristi Rollwagen, director of homeland security and emergency management at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, also urged motorists to drive with a full tank of gas and a fully charged cellphone to keep in touch with loved ones.

“It’s not something we haven’t experienced before, it’s just a good reminder that it does get cold in Minnesota,” Rollwagen said.

The weather service issued cold weather advisories across the Great Lakes region as high temperatures in many places were expected only to rise into the single digits or teens Monday and Tuesday. Night-time wind chills could drop temperatures to minus 20 F (minus 29 C) or lower. Chicago’s high Monday only was expected to hit 10 F (minus 12 C), while Monday night’s low was targeted at minus 5 degrees F. Indianapolis was expected to hover around zero F at night on Monday and Tuesday. Meanwhile, Detroit was expected to dip to zero Monday night and an even colder minus 5 F (minus 21 C) on Tuesday night, according to the weather service.

The Milwaukee County medical examiner’s office is investigating the death of an 80-year-old man who was found about 7 a.m. Sunday on a sidewalk in Milwaukee. An initial investigation has determined that the man fell about 2 a.m. Sunday and may have become incapacitated due to the weather. An autopsy was scheduled Tuesday.

Meanwhile, temperatures in Washington, D.C., are expected to dip into the 20s (about minus 7 C to minus 1 C) with wind gusts upwards of 30 mph (48 kph), Chenard said. The forecast prompted President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural ceremony to be moved inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

Like earlier this month, this latest cold snap comes from a disruption in the polar vortex, the ring of cold air usually trapped about the North Pole.

Santa Ana winds expected to return to Southern California

In Southern California, where blazes have killed at least 27 people and burned thousands of homes, strong Santa Ana winds were expected to return Monday with gusts between 70 and 90 mph (about 113 to 145 kph), according to Andrew Rorke, senior forecaster with the weather service in Oxnard, California.

The Eaton and Palisades fires should be sheltered somewhat from these winds, but more winds with lower humidity will hinder firefighting efforts, Rorke said. There is a particularly dangerous red flag warning in effect into Tuesday, meaning that “conditions are ripe for explosive fire growth should a fire start,” Rorke said.

However, there was some good news on the horizon, Rorke said, with rain in the forecast for the weekend with a quarter to a half inch (0.63 to 1.27 centimeters) of rain expected, he said.

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Julie Walker contributed to this report from New York. She can be reached at https://x.com/jwalkreporter. Dave Collins contributed from Hartford, Connecticut. Bruce Shipkowski contributed from Toms River, New Jersey.

Michael Casey, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Millions across the US brace for plummeting temperatures and winter storms

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