An Arctic air mass kept its grip on much of the central and eastern U.S. on Friday, plunging temperatures to record lows as snow blanketed central Colorado and the Pacific Northwest braced for an atmospheric river.
A vast swath of the country was under cold weather advisories, with some Gulf Coast states under freeze warnings early Friday morning. Forecasters said parts of Florida could experience wind chills as low as 17 degrees; North Texas faced wind chills of 10 below zero.
Officials warned residents across the South to wear appropriate clothing, wrap their pipes and keep their pets indoors. Such low temperatures “could result in hypothermia or frostbite if precautions are not taken,” said the National Weather Service office in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Arctic blast has broken dozens of decades-old records across the country this week. On Thursday, low temperatures in Midland, Texas, reached 14 degrees, smashing the previous record of 19 degrees set in 1955. In Nebraska, the cities of Omaha, Lincoln and Norfolk set new records with lows between negative 12 and negative 18 degrees, respectively.
Most of the cold weather advisories were set to expire Saturday morning as the Arctic air dissipates. Warmer temperatures were in store for most of the country next week, according to the weather service.
After bone-chilling cold, warm weather on deck for most of the US
Above-average temperatures will dominate much of the U.S. beginning this weekend and continuing into next week, melting snow and bringing reprieve from the dangerous cold for many, Weather.com said. By next Tuesday, some 249 million Americans will see above-average temperatures.
AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski in an online forecast said some of the biggest swings in temperature will occur over portions of the High Plains. Valentine, Nebraska, will flip from 33 below zero on Thursday morning to near 60 degrees on Monday afternoon, a swing of 93 degrees.
By early next week most locations west of the Mississippi River will warm to much above normal, with temperatures as much as 10 to 25 degrees above average, the Weather Prediction Center said. Temperatures in the Desert Southwest will surpass 90 degrees by Tuesday, the weather service said.
The East should also warm to above normal early to midweek, before cooling off again back to normal (or slightly below) late week, according to the Weather Prediction Center.
– Doyle Rice
Snow piles up in Denver; schools and road closures abound
Much of central and eastern Colorado was under winter weather advisories Friday as forecasters expected a system to dump several inches of snow over large swaths of the state.
The Denver metro area could see up to 3 inches of snow, with higher amounts accumulating along the foothills, according to the weather service. Several school districts opted to close schools or switch to virtual learning, citing slick roads.
Mountain passes across the state were shut down because of snow, while crews worked to clear roadways throughout Denver and its suburbs, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Atmospheric river to bring heavy rain, snow to Pacific Northwest
The West Coast’s latest atmospheric river is expected to begin dumping heavy rain and snow across the Pacific Northwest Friday, setting off to a multiday threat severe weather event.
Flood watches and warnings were either active or set to go into effect in Washington, Portland, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.
Heavy rain is expected to pick up Saturday in Oregon and Washington before the system stretches to the east, threatening to trigger excessive runoff that could flood low-lying areas with poor drainage and send rivers over their banks.
“Runoff will increase the risk for rock and mudslides below steep terrain,” said the weather service office in Missoula, Montana.
Snowfall amounts
Below are the latest 24-hour snowfall reports from the National Weather Service.
◾ Conifer, Colorado – 17.1 inches
◾ Currituck, North Carolina – 14 inches
◾ Cassadaga, New York – 14 inches
◾ Norfolk County, Virginia – 13 inches
◾ Nicholas County, West Virginia – 8.3 inches
States dig out from heavy snow from deadly winter storm
Communities across the eastern U.S. were still shoveling snow after a cross-country storm battered a large swath of the country, causing hundreds of traffic crashes, major delays at airports and widespread closures.
Officials in Norfolk, Virginia, which received 10 inches of snow on Wednesday – the most snow it’s seen in one day since 2010 – told residents to stay vigilant for crews clearing snow-covered streets on Friday: “Stay off the roads, if possible,” as crews continue to clear icy areas.
In western North Carolina, where areas devastated by Hurricane Helene were blanketed by snow this week, several school districts delayed the start of class or closed completely on Friday.
Officials tied at least four deadly car crashes to the snowstorm this week, including a major pile-up in North Carolina and several collisions in Nebraska and Tennessee.
