Weather whiplash: Late-fall warmth ends as coldest air of the season invades more than 30 states
This is also the first freeze for parts of the Midwest, as well as the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys. "Prolonged autumn warmth driven by El Niño delayed typical freeze dates by several weeks," the FOX Forecast Center said.
FILE: Coldest air of the season on the way for 30+ states
Major cities across the Lower 48 could see their first frost or freeze this week, as cold air funnels over the eastern half of the country. Below-average temperatures are expected for more than 230 million people by Friday.
THE TAKEAWAY
- More than 30 states and 280 million people will see below average temperatures by the end of the weekend.
- After daytime highs in the 70s across the Southeast this week, temperatures will dip into the 30s and 40s this weekend.
- El Niño-driven warmth has delayed the first freeze for many places across the country.
The coldest air of the season is plunging as far south as Florida this weekend, bringing below-average temperatures to more than 280 million people after what has been the warmest fall on record for many places across the eastern and central U.S.
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Behind the departing Nor'easter, a large dip in the polar jet stream is allowing cold Canadian air to spill across the entire eastern U.S., including the Southeast and Florida.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, frost and freeze conditions will extend across more than 30 states east of the Rockies.
After daytime highs in the 70s across the Southeast this week, temperatures will dip into the 30s and 40s this weekend.
People in Central Florida, including Orlando and Tampa will wake up to crisp morning lows in the mid-to-upper 40s on both Saturday and Sunday mornings.
North Florida and the Panhandle are expected to drop into the upper 30s to lower 40s.
This is also the first freeze for parts of the Midwest, as well as the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys. "Prolonged autumn warmth driven by El Niño delayed typical freeze dates by several weeks," the FOX Forecast Center said.
Across the Central Plains, Omaha, Nebraska and Kansas City will see overnight low temperatures drop into the mid-to-upper 20s, marking their first hard freeze of the season.
This could tie Omaha’s record for its latest first freeze, set in both 1915 and 2015, about a month later than the city’s average first freeze date. Earlier this week, NOAA determined that Super El Niño conditions have taken hold, while 2015 was the previous Super El Niño.
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Meanwhile, major cities along the Great Lakes, including Chicago and Detroit, are expected to see their first sub-freezing temperatures of the season this weekend.
All told, more than 30 states will see below average temperatures by the end of the weekend.
However, NOAA expects this cold shot to be short-lived, with warmer temperatures returning by mid-week.