A blast of winter weather is set to bring snowfall and sub-freezing wind chills across the Midwest and East Coast, with parts of the typically warm South, including Florida, also experiencing near-freezing temperatures.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued warnings for the region, with northeastern Ohio already experiencing hazardous “snow squall” conditions that are expected to move eastward into Pennsylvania and New York. Visibility is reported to be less than a quarter of a mile, with rapid snow accumulation on roadways, making travel difficult and potentially dangerous.
Temperatures across the Central and Eastern US are forecast to be 15°F to 30°F below average over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, with the cold spell continuing into early February. The Weather Prediction Center, a division of the NWS, has stated that sub-zero wind chills are expected from the Plains to the Midwest and Northeast, with the coldest conditions in the Upper Midwest on Sunday night.
The cold snap is not limited to the northern states, with Oklahoma, Tennessee, Georgia, and even Florida anticipating near-freezing temperatures through at least the weekend. Tallahassee, Florida, could even see some snowfall on Sunday morning, though any accumulation is expected to be minimal.
This would mark the second consecutive year that parts of Florida have experienced winter conditions, with the Florida Panhandle seeing up to 10 inches of snow in January 2025 as part of a record-breaking storm that also affected areas unaccustomed to snowfall, such as Houston and New Orleans.
The NWS in Atlanta has advised that central Georgia, south of the city, could see up to 1 inch of snow on Sunday, with the potential for slippery roads as the snow and any remaining water refreeze on Sunday night into Monday morning.
This unusual winter weather pattern is a stark reminder of the unpredictable effects of climate change, as typically warm regions grapple with unexpected cold snaps and the potential for snowfall. Meteorologists and weather experts will continue to monitor the situation closely in the coming days.
