Winter is coming early in several areas across the country.
The calendar may indicate that it's fall, but winter weather has already set in unseasonably for a large swath of the United States, bringing with it freezing temperatures and measurable snowfall in many areas.
Forecasts show a strong cold front moving across the country, causing temperatures to drop from record highs in the 80s to below freezing. Some areas will see temperatures into the 30s, 20s and even single digits.
Heavy snow has already fallen from Colorado to South Dakota, with some areas accumulating six inches, while others have reached 19 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
Denver International Airport saw about 7.5 inches of snow over the weekend, while some areas south of the Denver metro area saw between 10 and 11 inches on Sunday.
As the blizzard ends, the cold moves east, from Denver all the way to New York City.
On Monday morning, 26 states from California to Pennsylvania were under freeze and frost warnings, with temperatures reaching below zero in some parts of the Rocky Mountains. Temperatures are expected to drop to record lows in the Great Plains on Monday morning as well.
The freezing air mass will move into the Midwest and South by Tuesday morning, bringing the first freeze of the season to major cities like Chicago, Indianapolis and Nashville.
By Wednesday, the sleet will move farther east and south, bringing cold temperatures to areas near Dallas, Birmingham and Atlanta.
The cold blast will reach the Interstate 95 corridor by Thursday, with temperatures expected in the 30s for major Northeast cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and temperatures expected to reach freezing in the city's suburbs.
The cold could also bring the first lake-shaped snow of the season from Wisconsin to western New York.
Winter storm warnings have been issued in Michigan, where some areas could see up to 10 inches of snow.
A fast-moving system will also bring a dusting of snow from North Dakota to Minnesota and southern Wisconsin. Cities like Minneapolis and Milwaukee could see their first snow of the season as well, with snow likely in Chicago as well.
