Deep Freeze In the Forecast For Much of the South This Week

Spring began last week and parts of the south are beginning to see trees and flowers in full bloom. Unfortunately, these milder temperatures are going to be short lived. By the end of this week, another swath of cold temperatures will move down into the Deep South. Watches and warnings for a freeze have been put into effect for parts of the Southeastern region because near-record cold temperatures are predicted this late in the season. If you have already begun your annual gardening routine, it would be a good idea to take proper precautions to cover them while it begins to get chilly outside.

Over the weekend, a surge of cold air made its way through the central U.S and the eastern region. This surge of colder than normal air will be reinforced by yet another swath of cold air. Some of the locations that will be affected are predicted to be 10 to 20 degrees below the average for late March. On Tuesday, highs 10 to 20 degrees below average will be present anywhere from the Missouri Valley to the East Coast. This will also be true for Texas, Oklahoma, and the Gulf Coast. Florida can be included, but it is predicted that it will be closer to 5 degrees below instead of a whopping ten to twenty.

On Wednesday and Thursday a new surge of cold air will move southward into many of the Southern states such as Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Some daily record lows are a definite possibility according to the meteorologists with the Weather Channel.  As far as northern Florida the daily lows could reach the upper 30s. The central and eastern Great Lakes region are also in for a chill as the temperatures will drop into the teens.  The highs will be 10 to 20 degrees below average for the Southern Plains all the way into the eastern Great Lakes. The northeast will see record lows in the teens and 20s on Thursday, as this is possible for almost all states located in the Northeastern region.

Residents of the northeast can take solace in the fact that on Thursday; temperatures will begin to warm up significantly. Instead of below average, by Friday temperatures should reach above average in the Northeast.

The reason for this consistent cold is the tendency of a certain jet stream to dip southward repeatedly to the east of the Rockies. In layman’s terms, this means that a swath of cold air is moving into the south, allowing arctic air to move into the central and eastern United States.  With this jet stream moving northward, residents living in California and the Southwest have seen milder temperatures this winter. These temperatures are predicted to continue for the next couple of days, but cooler air will move into much of the West later this week.

To stay updated on the current system and to find out the latest advances in the weather system, check with The Weather Channel or your local weather authority!

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