Arctic Conditions to Return to Central, Eastern, and Southern US, National Weather Service Warns

Cold temperatures and a lawn sprinkler create icicles on a tree ahead of a winter storm expected to hit the North Texas region in Richardson, Texas, on Jan. 8, 2025. LM Otero/AP Photo

The National Weather Service (NWS) forecast more arctic temperatures for the Central, Eastern, and Southern U.S. approaching this weekend.

“After a brief warm up to end the week, a strong cold front will usher in a dangerously cold Arctic air mass east of the Rockies,” the NWS said Monday in a statement on X. “Much below normal temperatures are forecast to first arrive in the Northern Plains this weekend then dive southward and eastward over the following days.”

There is a more than 80 percent chance of the cold front bringing “below normal temperatures” between Jan. 19 and 23.

“Hazardous cold temperatures and wind chills are anticipated east of the Rockies,” the NWS said. “Sub-zero temperatures are possible in the Northern Plains, Great Lakes, Midwest, and interior New England.”

As far south as the Gulf Coast, well-below freezing temperatures are predicted to descend.

Though there may be some change in temperature next week, the remainder of January will be visited by “cold air outbreaks” bringing frozen precipitation.

“However, the timing, location, and intensity of any winter storms during Week-2 are uncertain at this time,” the NWS said.

Earlier this month, the NWS warned of “hazardous wintry weather conditions” for a wide swath of the county from January 4 to 6.

“A major winter storm is forecast to produce heavy snow & significant icing from the Central Plains starting tomorrow, then into the Ohio Valley on Sunday, & finally the Mid-Atlantic Sunday night into Monday,” the NWS said Jan. 3.

The Associated Press reported that power had been restored in much of the South on Sunday after the freezing weather resulted in the loss of power in regions such as the Carolinas, where Duke Energy said it had brought in additional crews to respond to the outages.

Georgia Power said on Jan 11 that its crews worked “throughout the night on the final stages of restoration” in response to Winter Storm Cora and warned that there could be refreeze overnight that could form icy patches on the roads, creating “treacherous conditions.”

“Know that we are continuing to work and watch the weather to ensure that we restore all those currently without power,” Georgia Power said.

Entergy Mississippi reported on Jan. 10 that it was working to restore power and assess damage caused by snow and ice that had fallen over the northern part of the state.

Over 7 inches of snow was recorded at the Memphis International Airport in Tennessee since last Thursday, 4.3 more inches than the city usually sees in a year.

Despite the winter weather having subsided with warmer weather expected to thaw out the icy conditions, NWS’s forecast for next week portends another round of arctic blasts with more to come throughout January.