Arctic Blast Brings Snow and Cold to Eastern U.S.

CHICAGO, Illinois — An Arctic blast is sweeping across the eastern United States, plunging temperatures and bringing heavy snowfall. The cold front began impacting the Midwest over the weekend and is expected to last through the week.

On Sunday night into Monday, Chicago experienced intense lake-effect snow, along with thunder and strong winds. Forecasts predicted historic November totals exceeding 10 inches, but downtown areas were spared the brunt of the snowfall. However, locations more than 50 miles south of the city saw up to a foot of snow.

Travel conditions have deteriorated significantly due to snow and wind. Reports of hazardous conditions came from along Interstate 57, particularly in Kankakee and northern Iroquois counties. The snowfall created challenges for morning commuters, including in Mansfield, Ohio, where the landscape turned into a winter scene.

The frigid air mass is pushing southward, threatening dozens of low temperature records, even reaching as far as Florida. Numerous areas across the Southeast are expected to experience their coldest early November temperatures in decades. Jacksonville, Florida, may drop to 30 degrees Tuesday morning, marking its earliest fall cold in nearly 50 years.

Morning lows in several Southern states could fall into the 20s, impacting regions including Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Louisiana. Freeze warnings are in effect across the Gulf Coast, putting crops and unprotected pipes at risk.

Indicative of the severity, temperatures in Charleston, South Carolina, are expected to struggle to reach 50 degrees, about 20 degrees below average. In contrast, northern parts of the U.S. continue to see harsh winter conditions. Snow levels remain high along the Great Lakes, with areas in Michigan‘s Upper Peninsula recording over a foot of snow in some spots.

As the unusual winter weather continues, it is anticipated that the cold snap will not linger. Many areas in the central U.S. are expected to warm up by Tuesday, while the East may see a return to milder temperatures by Wednesday.