Millions of people in the United States are in the midst of an unusually cold snap, which some say is one of the longest in decades, and it’s only going to get colder over the next week.
The eastern half of the United States could break more than 200 new daily low temperature records from Friday into Monday as a new influx of harsh air brings temperatures further down.
Temperatures could drop more than 30 degrees below normal in many locations this weekend, especially in the south and east.
The worsening of the already deadly cold is dire news for those without electricity or shelter, and of course, the wallets of those paying to keep warm.
Last weekend’s historic winter storm and subsequent bitter cold left at least 80 people dead in the United States, the Associated Press reported.
More than 250,000 homes and businesses in the South, hit by the negative effects of the cold, were without power as of Thursday, according to PowerOutage.us. Some people went without it for five days after the storm.
It’s a race against time to restore power before it gets even colder.
Tennessee and Mississippi, the states hardest hit by the storm, will experience the worst of the cold ahead on Saturday and Sunday. More than 100,000 customers in each state were without power.
Nashville, Tennessee, and Tupelo, Mississippi, are just two of more than 20 cities in the South that could set records for the lowest daytime temperatures on Saturday.
Temperatures are only expected to rise by about 20 degrees in Nashville, where the power infrastructure has been especially crippled, while temperatures in Tupelo could approach 26 degrees. The maximum temperature in both cities is 30 degrees below normal for this time of year.
Other areas hit by the storm’s ice are also at risk of freezing again.
Atlanta is also likely to only be in the mid-to-high 20s on Saturday. The predicted maximum temperature of 29 degrees will be the coldest day in the city since December 2022, when it hit a high of 27 degrees.
The cold weather hasn’t let up since the weekend storms first brought us cold weather.
The period between last weekend and next week could be the longest freeze in Philadelphia in about 65 years.
The city is expected to remain below freezing (32 degrees Celsius) for up to 12 days into next week, the longest such period since 1961, when there were 15 consecutive days. The 10-day streak is the longest since 1989.
Further along Interstate 95, Washington, D.C., may experience the longest period of ice in more than 30 years. Forecasters say D.C. will experience nine straight days of below- or below-freezing temperatures, ending early next week. This is the longest cold snap since December 1989, which lasted 10 days.
Other cities are still very cold, although not as cold as they have been in decades.
New York City could experience its longest period of subzero temperatures since 2018.
And Chicago, which is accustomed to freezing weather, is surprisingly on track to record even colder temperatures, with its longest period below 20 degrees since 2018.
More than 30 daily cold records (both low and low temperature records) could be broken or tied in the Sunshine State on Sunday.
It will definitely be cold enough to cause iguanas to plummet from their perches, and there may even be some storms in the state.
Orlando could see its first low temperature below 30 degrees in eight years. Temperatures are expected to reach 25 degrees, tying a single-day record.
Even in South Florida, cold weather is inevitable. This weekend’s arctic blast is shaping up to be the coldest in the region in 15 years.
The low temperature in Miami on Sunday morning is expected to be around 36 degrees, which is on par with the lowest temperature of the day, but still a long way from the record low of 28 degrees. Even if we miss the day’s record, this morning in Miami will likely be the coldest since December 2010.
According to the Climate Prediction Center’s forecast, the cold will finally start to ease a little later next week.
