How cold is it today? Find out where low temperatures will reach record lows during the winter storm

A blast of frigid Arctic air heading south from Canada has plunged temperatures to record lows across the United States, bringing a dangerous swarm of winter storms to impact large parts of the country over the weekend. Low temperatures continue to run their course today. The extent of the cold varies depending on the region, and forecasters have warned of these conditions It could go wrong In some places later this week.

The storm, which had already blanketed parts of the Midwest, Great Plains and Northeast with snow on Saturday and Sunday, was bringing “extremely cold temperatures across much of the U.S.” as it moves eastward on Monday, “with new records expected to be set or broken,” the weather service said. The National Weather Service issued a warning after midnight.

Snow fell quickly in a number of states as the storm moved through the center of the country toward the northeast, with meteorologists reporting snowfall rates that sometimes approached one inch per hour Monday afternoon.

Record snowfall and freezing rain

Snow and freezing rain are expected to continue in southern states, such as Texas, before spreading over the mid-Atlantic and Northeast until Tuesday, hitting Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York. The weather service office in Philadelphia said it expects the snowfall to break a record 714 days without at least an inch of snow falling in the city.

Heavy snow continued to fall on Monday in the Great Lakes region, disrupting travel, and in places like Chicago, Forced closure of schools With wind chills dropping to -30 degrees Fahrenheit. Forecasters said the heaviest snowfall would occur in northern Michigan and western New York state, including Buffalo, and advised communities to prepare for continued risks through Wednesday.

The first of two icy blasts in the Arctic fueled wintry conditions in the Lower Mississippi Valley and Tennessee Valley on Monday, bringing a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain as the weather system heads toward the Appalachians, the National Weather Service said, noting that it is likely A second air mass from the Arctic will arrive in the United States later this week after the first tapers.

“These wind chills may cause frostbite on exposed skin in a few minutes and hypothermia shortly thereafter. Avoid outdoor activities if possible. If you must be outside, dress appropriately, wear layers, and cover exposed skin.” Keep pets indoors. Get a cold survival kit if you have to travel, the weather service said.

Sub-zero temperatures

Temperatures at Rapid City Airport in South Dakota already reached a record daily low on Sunday when they were recorded at -23 degrees, according to the local weather service office there. Temperatures across Missouri, as well as parts of Kansas and Ohio, are expected to drop below 10 or 15 degrees at lows and remain either around or below freezing at highs through Wednesday. In Alabama and Mississippi, state governors declared states of emergency in response to the freezing weather.

The National Weather Service in Jackson issued a “severe threat” warning Monday for a large area of ​​Ohio, including Cleveland. Wind chills there can go down to -10 degrees – cold enough to cause frostbite in half an hour or less and cause hypothermia with prolonged exposure to the elements. A “major threat” warning was issued for Missouri and eastern Kansas, where temperatures could be a few degrees higher than Cleveland forecast with similar wind chills.

During the coldest days of the current cold front, states like Montana could see temperatures drop as low as -40 degrees, CBS News partner The Weather Channel reports. The National Weather Service previously warned that wind chills in that area could be even colder, saying it could reach -70 degrees in some places. In consultation Released early Sunday.

Along the northern part of the Gulf Coast, from eastern Texas to northern Florida, cold temperatures are expected to dip into the low 20s, or perhaps a little lower, according to Weather Channel meteorologists. Meanwhile, farther south, forecasts are for temperatures to drop between 10 and 20 degrees, with single-digit readings in some areas.

Parts of Texas, Oklahoma and northern Arkansas could see subzero temperatures, and a little further north, lows could reach -20 in Iowa and Nebraska. The Iowa caucuses could be held on Monday evening New record low temperatures. In Chicago, where air temperatures reached -9 degrees, meteorologists noted that although the record had not yet been broken, It was approaching a freeze on some of the city's coldest days In recorded history.

“big ice”

Along the West Coast, forecasters warned people to brace for another round of severe weather on Tuesday, due to another storm coming ashore over the Pacific Northwest that is expected to drop freezing rain on southwest Washington and northwest Oregon, where the storm spawned on Saturday. In the occurrence of floods. A tree fell on a house, killing an elderly man inside. The National Weather Service in Portland said Monday that ice accumulation in those areas could reach a half-inch, making travel conditions “extremely dangerous.”

Parts of California will likely see rain as well, and higher elevation areas in the three states will also receive snow, the weather service said, adding, “The mix of snow and ice could cause hazardous conditions on roads across this region.”