Severe cold temperatures along with winter storm systems are currently sweeping across various regions of the United States, with Arctic air set to plunge temperatures significantly below average. Across areas east of the Mississippi River, temperatures are expected to drop by 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Notably, the coldest conditions are forecast for the northern Plains, Upper Midwest, and Great Lakes on Monday.
By Tuesday morning, isolated record low temperatures could be observed in the Northeast. However, this cold air mass is anticipated to be less severe than the one responsible for multiple record lows experienced the previous week.
Winter weather conditions are notably impacting the mid-Atlantic region, where over 12 million individuals are under winter weather alerts from eastern Kentucky through Virginia and into northern North Carolina. A rapidly moving storm is set to affect this area on Monday, likely producing snowfall amounts ranging from 2 to 4 inches in places like Beckley, West Virginia, to Richmond, Virginia, with central Virginia possibly seeing local totals of 4 to 5 inches.
In Washington, D.C., light flurries are expected from the storm system, which should clear up by Monday evening.
Meanwhile, in the Upper Midwest, another storm is projected to hit North Dakota on Tuesday morning, subsequently moving across the region before affecting the interior Northeast and New England on Wednesday. Areas like Duluth, Green Bay, and western Michigan could see 4 to 6 inches of snowfall, whereas Minneapolis, Madison, Milwaukee, and Detroit may experience lighter totals of up to 2 inches.
Adding to the weather challenges on the West Coast, an atmospheric river is unleashing heavy rain across western Washington and northwestern Oregon, with flood watches affecting at least 9 million people in this area. The adverse weather conditions are expected to produce torrential rains until Wednesday, accumulating about 6 to 10 inches of rainfall in the Olympics and Cascades, and possibly up to 12 inches in certain areas. Portland can expect between 3 to 5 inches, while Seattle might see 1 to 2 inches of rain.
Despite the ongoing winter storm alerts and frigid conditions, there is a light at the end of the tunnel as milder temperatures are expected to return midweek before yet another cold air surge arrives by Friday. This variation in weather could provide some respite from the harsh winter conditions currently being faced across the nation.