Arctic Blast to Bring Freezing Temps as Cold Front Bringing Snow Moves Out

A cold front moving eastward, which the National Weather Service predicts will soon disappear into Canada, brought snow to much of the country, stretching from the Midwest to the Northeast on Sunday, making for a nasty commute Monday morning and canceling thousands of flights. While the front may soon be gone, the NWS is also warning of an arctic air mass that will spread over the northern plains and Midwest over the next couple of days, bringing freezing temperatures along with it.

Various winter weather advisories are in place for parts of the country, from northwest Oregon and the parts of the Mountain West to northeast Michigan, northern Ohio and states in the far Northeast such as Maine and New Hampshire.

Parts of Illinois saw more than 9 inches of snow, and while the snow has stopped in the Chicago area for now, the region is facing bitter-cold temperatures. In nearby Michigan, a plane slid off the runway at Metro Detroit airport on Sunday in an accident that is said to be weather-related. Temperatures in the state are expected to be in the single digits this week. A slew of weather-related traffic accidents were reported across New England and at least one person died in a crash in Maine.

While the cold front will move into Canada, its trail end will stall over the Gulf Coast and will become a warm front as it moves northward on Tuesday, making thunderstorms and rain possible over the Gulf Coast and the Southeast on Wednesday. The Mountain West will continue to see snow and parts of central and northern California might be subject to rain thanks to a Pacific low pressure system.

Now for the bitter cold: It is expected to hit the Midwest on Tuesday and Wednesday and will make its way to the Northeast on Thursday. The coldest air of the season will affect the Midwest and the East on Thursday and Friday with near record low temperatures possible in some areas and near blizzard conditions possible around the Great Lakes. Temperatures are expected to fall slowly when warmer air floods northward ahead of the cold front on Saturday night into early Sunday.

"For many in the Midwest and Northeast, this will be quite a painfully cold December experience," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams said.

While freezing temperatures are forecast, here are steps you can take to protect yourself from the bitter cold:

• Dress in several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight clothing, rather than a single layer of heavy clothing. Wear a hat, mittens (rather than gloves) and sturdy waterproof boots, protecting your extremities, and cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.

• Watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia.

• • Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and a pale appearance in extremities, such as fingers, toes, earlobes or the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, seek medical help immediately.
  • The warning signs of hypothermia include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness and apparent exhaustion. If the person’s temperature drops below 95 degrees, seek immediate medical care.
• Have a well-stocked home emergency kit that includes a flashlight, sleeping bag or blanket, portable radio, extra batteries, a first aid kit, bottled water and non-perishable food.
• Make sure your car is properly winterized. Keep the gas tank at least half-full. Carry a winter emergency car kit including blankets, extra clothing, a flashlight with spare batteries, a can, waterproof matches (to melt snow for drinking water), non-perishable foods, windshields scraper, shovel, sand, towrope and jumper cables in the trunk.
• Be a good neighbor. Check with elderly or disabled relatives and neighbors to ensure their safety.
• Limit outdoor time for your pets. Freezing temperatures are dangerous to animals as well as humans.

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