Central States Temperatures to Plunge

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

November 9,2012; 7:46PM,EST

In the wake of a strong front, and in some areas severe weather, temperatures will take the plunge this weekend over the Plains.

As a powerful storm tracks across the Canada border this weekend, a strong cold front will blast eastward across the Plains and into the Mississippi Valley.
Ahead of the front, temperatures are surging to record-challenging levels, reaching the 70s and 80s. In most areas, Saturday will be the warmer of the two days this weekend.
Meanwhile, soon after the frontal passage, temperatures will crash 10, 20, 30 and even 40 degrees. In some cases, huge temperature drops can occur in a matter of hours and even minutes.

By Sunday evening, the leading edge of the colder air will reach the lower Mississippi and the Ohio valleys to the central Great Lakes. The warmth will be squeezed to the East Coast.

The cold air will not lock on to the region next week.
It appears the core of the arctic air will lift northward as the week progresses.