First big freeze of season grips Eastern US, as arctic air and snow reach the South

Snow accumulated as far south as Blairsville, Georgia, overnight Tuesday, with some flakes even spotted in Atlanta. Numerous record low temperatures were set across parts of the South and Southeast.

More than 190 million Americans woke up to an arctic blast Tuesday, with most people seeing temperatures 15–25 degrees below average from the Plains across the eastern half of the U.S., including the South, which set numerous record low temperatures.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

A large dip in the jet stream has ushered in polar air from Canada, some three weeks before the start of meteorological winter. 

Communities around the eastern Great Lakes in the Midwest and Northeast dealt with powerful lake-effect snowstorms throughout the weekend and into Monday, with a final burst expected Tuesday.

Meanwhile, snow accumulated as far south as Blairsville, Georgia overnight Tuesday, with some flakes even spotted in Atlanta. 

Lancaster County in northeastern South Carolina received a fresh coating of snow Monday night. 

HOW LA NIÑA, POLAR VORTEX WINDS COULD FUEL A FAST-START TO BRUTAL WINTER FOR PARTS OF THE US

Storm Chaser Mike Boylan recorded powerful snow flurries at higher elevations in Roan Mountain, Tennessee.

Mobile, Alabama, Savannah, Georgia and Tampa, Florida were just some of the cities across the South that set record low temperatures.

The temperature in Orlando also broke a record, falling to 37 degrees, its coldest November morning in nine years.

This graphic shows record low temperatures.
(FOX Weather)


 

Tallahassee, Florida reached freezing Tuesday morning, colder than several major Northeast metro areas like New York City and Boston.

A Cold Weather Advisory covers parts of southern Alabama, southern Georgia and much of the Florida panhandle and Central Florida.

Freeze Alerts cover a broad stretch of the Gulf and Southeast Coast from Louisiana to Virginia Tuesday morning.

The polar preview will be short-lived, with temperatures expected to rebound across the country by Wednesday.

DANGEROUS LAKE-EFFECT SNOWSTORM BRINGS WINTER PREVIEW, WHITEOUT TRAVEL CONDITIONS ACROSS GREAT LAKES

Eastern Great Lakes face a final round of lake-effect snow

Meanwhile, wind chills will drop feel-like temperatures into the teens for the Midwest and interior Northeast, which is expected to see a final round of lake-effect snow.

Westerly winds will produce periods of heavy snow for the eastern shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

This graphic shows Lake-Effect Snow Alerts.
(FOX Weather)


 

According to the FOX Forecast Center, the heaviest accumulation will be just inland from the lakeshore where elevation rises some 1,500 feet, part of a geographic feature called the Chautauqua Ridge. 

Heavy snow is expected across southwest Ashtabula County in Ohio, southern Erie and Crawford counties in Pennsylvania and Chautauqua country in western New York, where an additional 5-8 inches of snow will be possible. 

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