Snow showers, wintry chill to penetrate southern U.S. next week

A winter storm is expected to impact the Midwest and Northeast through the weekend and into early next week, paving the way for a blast of frigid air to spill into the eastern United States.

The Arctic front associated with this storm could sweep as far south as the Gulf Coast, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Rob Richards.

Residents of the southern U.S. should dig out their blankets and coats, as temperatures are forecast to plummet dramatically behind the front.

After peaking around 60 F on Monday, the temperature will drop into the low 20s in Little Rock that night.

After the front passes through New Orleans on Tuesday, temperatures could fall to freezing levels that night for the first time since January 2018.

Overnight temperatures are expected to dip below freezing from central Texas to northern Florida on Tuesday night, including New Orleans; Mobile, Alabama; and Jacksonville, Florida.

Related: Winter storms and weather across the United States — January 2019

Farther north, cities such as Atlanta and Nashville will be stuck in the teens.

Even during the day, "many locations across this part of the country will be about 15-20 degrees below average," Richards said.

Even more shocking could be the precipitation predicted to move into the area along with the chill.

"This cold front moving down into the Southeast Monday night into Tuesday morning will cause rain to change to snow across Arkansas to parts of northern Georgia," Richards said.

Snow could start to accumulate once the frigid air settles in on Tuesday.

"Cities like Little Rock, Memphis and Nashville can see a few inches of snow which will cause major travel delays," Richards warned. "Atlanta could even receive a coating of snow."

Airline delays could ripple throughout the country as Atlanta airports face travel delays due to slick runways and limited visibility conditions.

Wet roads and sidewalks will quickly become slick as temperatures fall, so anyone out and about in cars or on foot should travel with extreme caution.