Another round of cold air to blast south-central US
States in the South Central region are in for another blast of unseasonably cold conditions behind the biggest snowstorm yet this season.
The region was dealt a taste of winter's chill at the end of November and beginning of December, with temperatures dipping to their lowest levels since February and March in places such as Oklahoma City, Dallas and Houston. In Dallas, for example, the Tuesday morning low of 29 degrees Fahrenheit fell just 5 degrees shy of the daily record and marked the city's lowest temperature reading since Feb. 28, when the thermometer bottomed out at 28.
Across the Southeast, residents in Tennessee, northern Mississippi, northern Alabama, northern Georgia and western North Carolina were dusting snow off cars on Monday afternoon as the cold air expanded toward the East Coast.
By Tuesday, Floridians were left to break out the jackets as well, with highs in the 50s and 60s F, or about 10-20 degrees below average. Frosty and freezing temperatures were reported across the state on Tuesday night.
The latest round of cold air will pack its biggest punch across portions of the Southwest and South Central states into late week, before the air moderates a bit as it heads eastward.
"High pressure will move into the region for Thursday and Friday, bringing some sunshine both days, but also some very cool weather," AccuWeather Meteorologist Derek Witt said.
The high in Oklahoma City only reached 41 degrees on Thursday, a day that a temperature in the middle 50s is more common. However, this was early in the morning, and much of the day was spent in the middle 30s. Meanwhile, Dallas did not reach the 50-degree mark.
Where there is a snowpack across southwestern Kansas and the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles behind the storm, highs will did not get out of the middle 30s on Thursday, with AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures in the 20s.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The cold air will be not only another shock to the system of residents who enjoyed a rather mild November, but also to wallets given the higher demand for heating.
As the storm system marches across the Southeast with rain and thunderstorms to end the week, the air behind the storm will lose some of its sting.
 |
Around Atlanta, highs in the upper 50s on Friday will only trend to the lower to middle 50s by Saturday.
The lack of cold air at least in this part of the country will greatly limit the locations that are on the receiving end of some snowflakes at the tail end of the storm. The southern Appalachians may stand the best chance for rain to end as a period of snow Friday night into Saturday.
It may be a different story farther north, where forecasters say it is possible that a major winter storm unfolds across the Northeast this weekend.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
