An Arctic air mass maintained its hold over much of the central and eastern United States on Friday, sending temperatures plummeting to historic lows from the Dakotas all the way down to Texas and Louisiana. A broad region of the nation was placed under cold weather advisories, with select areas in southern Texas, northern Florida, Georgia, and Alabama issued freeze warnings. Meteorologists cautioned residents across the Southern states to dress warmly, protect their pipes, and ensure their pets remain indoors.
“The extreme cold, with wind chills reaching as low as 17 degrees, could lead to hypothermia or frostbite if proper precautions are not taken,” stated the weather service office in Jacksonville, Florida.
This Arctic blast shattered long-standing records throughout the country this week. In Midland, Texas, temperatures plummeted to 14 degrees on Thursday, breaking the previous record of 19 degrees set back in 1955. Just a day earlier, the city broke a daily record that had stood since 1944.
In Nebraska, the cities of Omaha, Lincoln, and Norfolk experienced temperatures of negative 12, negative 17, and negative 18 degrees, respectively, smashing multiple century-old records, reported the weather service in Omaha on Thursday morning. Wind chills in those cities ranged from 25 to 40 degrees below zero.
The Arctic air is expected to gradually dissipate over the weekend, with warmer temperatures forecasted for most of the country in the upcoming week, according to the weather service.
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Freeze warnings abound as Arctic air blast sweeps across US.
