Arctic explosion brings heavy snow to multiple states
The arctic blast is bringing frigid temperatures and heavy snowfall to multiple states.
Mid-January has taken hold in much of the eastern half of the country, and this Martin Luther King Jr. Day lives up to its frigid reputation. AccuWeather says multiple rounds of cold arctic air will continue to affect parts of the Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeastern states through midweek.
Even beyond that, the cold will continue. “The last 10 days of January will be brutally cold from the Midwest to the Great Lakes to the Northeast,” Weather Trader meteorologist Ryan Maue told the X Show.
In addition to the cold, heavy lake-effect snow will bury areas near the Great Lakes under several feet of snow, according to the National Weather Service.
And looking ahead, this long-term pattern of cold air has long-term forecasters warning that major storms could develop later this week and into next weekend, bringing the risk of snow and ice across large swathes of the country.
Meanwhile, the western United States will continue to experience mild and mild weather this week. “This week, a sustained weather pattern will bring sunny, dry, and unusually warm conditions across much of the western United States and southwestern Canada, with spring-like temperatures, areas of fog, and limited storm activity,” AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said in an online forecast.
Snow begins to fall due to the influence of the lake.
Lake-effect and lake-enhanced heavy snow continues downwind of the Great Lakes, potentially causing whiteout conditions and difficult travel conditions, the National Weather Service warned.
“As the snow falls, roads will be covered in snow and visibility will be limited,” the National Weather Service in Buffalo said in a statement. “Travel in areas with lake-effect snow can be very difficult or even impossible.”
Frigid gusty winds are expected to blow over the Great Lakes on January 19th and January 20th. “As a result, lake effect snowfall is expected downwind of the lake,” the weather bureau said. Generally, there will be about 8 to 12 inches of accumulation, with larger amounts possible on its own by Wednesday (January 21) morning. ”
Severe cold in the Midwest, freeze warning for the South
High temperatures in many parts of the Midwest on January 19 are expected to be in the single digits to below freezing, 20 to 30 degrees below average.
“Wind chills as low as -35 degrees can cause frostbite to exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes,” the National Weather Service in Minneapolis said.
In the South, temperatures were below average on the morning of January 19 as the weather remained sunny across the Southeast. Freeze warnings were issued from parts of southern Georgia to northern and central Florida due to low temperatures in the low to mid 30s.
Subzero temperatures are expected to return to much of Florida from the night of January 19 into the early morning hours of Tuesday, January 20, according to the National Weather Service. According to the National Weather Service in Jacksonville, low temperatures will fall into the upper 20s to low 30s, and wind chill values will again drop into the 20s to 25s in most locations during the predawn and early morning hours of Tuesday, Jan. 20.
“There is a chance of frost in patchy areas, especially along I-95 and inland to the west,” the weather service said.
Florida snow delights residents
Residents of Florida’s Panhandle woke up on Sunday, January 18th to snow falling across the area.
As of 5:53 a.m., the National Weather Service announced that 0.09 inches of snow had fallen at Pensacola International Airport in six hours.
Despite the uncertain forecast, the joy of winter mornings hasn’t stopped for many, with social media showing many area residents setting alarm clocks for the early morning hours to experience the snowfall.
Most of the snow started falling around 4:45 a.m. Pacific time and tapered off a few hours later.
Snow in the South is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, AP reported. Less than a year later, on January 21, 2025, parts of Florida that saw briefly frosty lawns received up to 8 inches of snow, the heaviest snowfall in many places since the late 1800s, according to the Associated Press.
Will there be a big storm later this week?
AccuWeather meteorologist Alyssa Glenny said in an online forecast that a widespread storm is expected to gradually move from the Rocky Mountains into the Plains region and then move across the eastern United States starting Friday and into next weekend. “Given the presence of cold air across the region, winter effects could extend over a wide area of the storm’s path.”
“Where exactly this storm develops and its path will determine where the snow and ice will appear. Residents from Colorado and Wyoming to the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts are urged to stay alert to the latest forecasts, especially as ice threats become a possibility,” Glenny said.
warm west
Other parts of the West will also see above-average temperatures this week.
High temperatures will be 5 to 10 degrees above average for mid-January in many areas, including Seattle, San Francisco and Salt Lake City, AccuWeather said. For reference, average daily high temperatures are in the low 40s in Seattle, low 50s in San Francisco, and low 30s in Salt Lake City.
Temperatures in some areas, such as Los Angeles, will be in the 70s, or 5 to 10 degrees above historical averages. In Phoenix, high temperatures will primarily be in the upper 70s to near 80 degrees through midweek. In Las Vegas, high temperatures will range from the mid 60s to near 70 degrees.
Contributed by: Pensacola News Journal
