Millions of Americans are facing an abrupt early-season freeze, with forecasters warning that several states could see their first snow of the season this weekend.
Temperatures are forecast to tumble by more than 30 degrees across the Northeast, New England, the Midwest and the Great Lakes on Friday and Saturday.
AccuWeather meteorologists say the sharp Arctic surge will bring a dramatic reversal to parts of the Northeast, shifting conditions from about 20 degrees above the mid-October average to roughly 20 degrees below normal.
By Saturday morning, temperatures are expected to sink into the 20s across northern Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine.
Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, New York and Boston are all expected to begin the weekend in the 30s, while powerful wind gusts push frigid air across much of the northern United States.
Friday into Saturday could bring scattered snow showers—and the season’s first flakes for many communities—particularly across New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The snow threat will develop as icy Canadian air meets warmer conditions over the Great Lakes.
The National Weather Service has issued widespread Freeze Warnings for parts of the Dakotas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois as the same Canadian cold front advances eastward.
The alerts remain in effect into Saturday. The NWS cautioned: “Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.”
Millions of people across the Midwest and Great Plains are under Freeze Warnings as temperatures plunge across the US (Stock Image)
A surge of cold Canadian air is expected to spread into the Northeast on October 16
The sudden drop from unusually warm October weather could also fuel storms along the East Coast on Friday, including the risk of several severe thunderstorms, AccuWeather warned.
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said in a statement: “Wind gusts in some of the more potent storms will range between 55 and 65 mph.”
“It is possible that in one or two of the most intense storms, a brief tornado could occur, especially in eastern parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and western Connecticut.”
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Storms are expected Friday afternoon in Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the wider New York City area.
Farther north, rain could turn into snow overnight across parts of northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
In the central United States, the NWS Freeze Warning affects about 15 million people and urges residents to prepare for temperatures dropping below the 32-degree Fahrenheit freezing mark.
The warnings cover Friday morning, while alerts in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and parts of Illinois also extend into Saturday morning, from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. local time.
Freeze Watches have also been posted as far south as Oklahoma and Texas for Friday night into Saturday morning. In those areas, temperatures could approach freezing and threaten outdoor crops.
Temperatures are expected to fall more than 30 degrees from the unseasonably warm levels recorded earlier this week
Freeze Warnings (dark blue) and Freeze Watches (light blue) are in effect across multiple states on October 16 as colder air pushes east
While the arctic plunge will be dramatic over the weekend, AccuWeather noted that the first frost of the season is actually coming right on time for many of the states affected.
According to the weather service, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, northern Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, southern Minnesota and parts of the Dakotas and Nebraska all traditionally see the first freeze of the year by October 15.
Even the portions of Oklahoma and Texas, which are under Freeze Watches this weekend, typically see the first freeze in mid-to-late October.
AccuWeather expert meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said: ‘This weekend will bring a noticeable reminder that winter is getting closer.’
‘People who still have sensitive plants outdoors should start paying close attention to overnight temperatures, while anyone heading outside this weekend will want to dress for colder, blustery conditions.’