Pre-Thanksgiving Cold Blast to Chill Midwest, Eastern US

By Brett Rathbun, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

November 22,2015; 9:37PM,EST

 

 

The coldest air since last spring will chill the Midwest and Eastern United States into Tuesday.
This stretch of cold air will be a shock for many as much of November has been mild and well above average. This will make the outdoor air feel even colder than it actually is.
Jackets and winter coats will be needed for any outdoor activities or early holiday shopping.

Cold Blast Across the Northeast

Daytime high temperatures will generally range between 10 and 20 degrees Fahrenheit below average at the height of the cold snap. It will feel more like December than late November.
The arctic air will continue to funnel from the Midwest to the East Coast into Monday.
With this surge of cold air over the warm waters of the Great Lakes, bands of lake-effect snow will develop into Sunday night.

However, unlike the long-duration lake-effect event from last November that brought more than a yard of snow to some areas, the event into early Monday will be short-lived and less intense.
The lake-effect snow will bring pockets of 1-3 inches downwind of lakes Erie and Ontario. The lake-effect snow will gradually diminish early Monday ahead of an approaching clipper system, which will spread a swath of snow from northern Minnesota through Michigan and into western New York Monday into Tuesday.
Accumulations in most locations will generally range from a coating to an inch, though localized higher amounts cannot be ruled out. That is especially true where there is isolated enhancement from the warmer lake waters.
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Thanksgiving Travel Outlook
Monday looks to be the coldest day across the Northeast this week.
"This week will start out with temperatures no higher than the 40s along the I-95 corridor," AccuWeather Meteorologist Becky Elliott said. "It will feel much colder compared to this week, when temperatures reached the 60s."
Across the southeastern U.S., chilly air will continue to build across the region into Monday. Cooler air will even plunge into portions of Florida.
By Sunday night, temperatures will drop into the 20s and 30s across much of the Southeast, where many areas will get their first frost of freeze of the season.
Cities that may receive their first freeze on Sunday night include Atlanta; Memphis, Tennessee; and Montgomery, Alabama.

The threat of frost will extend as far south as southern Mississippi, southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
Temperatures will remain above freezing near the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines.
Those with outdoor plants and vegetation should cover them on Sunday night to prevent the buildup of frost or ice.
High temperatures on Monday will only reach the 40s across portions of the mid-Atlantic to the 50s across the Deep South and the Florida Panhandle.
Orlando, Florida, may not reach 70 F for the first time since Feb. 28.

Milder air will regain control over the Eastern states heading toward Thanksgiving. Along with the mild air, dry weather is in store for holiday travelers.
Thanksgiving Day will likely be warmer than Halloween was for many communities.