A blast of Arctic air is expected to reach the Deep South Tuesday morning, potentially breaking or tying low temperature records for the day from Texas to Mississippi, according to meteorologists with the National Weather Service.
Meteorologists expected this system to bring frigid winds and below-zero temperatures across much of the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains and Midwest.
“These wind chills may cause frostbite on exposed skin in a few minutes,” the weather service said Monday afternoon, suggesting people should avoid outdoor activities if they can.
In addition to the extreme cold, the Meteorological Service forecast for Tuesday predicted:
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Snowy and slippery roads from the southern Appalachian Mountains through the mid-Atlantic states to New York and New England.
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Snow fell overnight in New York City, which was enough to break a streak of more than 700 days of snow without an inch falling in Central Park in a single day.
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A new storm is moving toward the Pacific Northwest, with heavy snow in the northern Cascade Mountains and heavy rain or freezing rain in the Columbia River Basin.
Temperatures are expected to rise slightly by Wednesday, but another wave of cold air could again extend far south by the end of the week.