The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued freezing or frost warnings for 19 states in the central and eastern United States, with temperatures expected to drop abruptly to below 30 degrees Fahrenheit within the next 24 hours.
This week, the United States is experiencing a sudden drop in temperatures, with cold waves hitting large areas in the Midwest, Great Plains, South, and Northeast. Seventeen states have been issued freezing warnings, while the New England region has been issued frost warnings.
As of Tuesday morning, more than 60 million people are under freezing or frost warnings as temperatures drop from the Great Plains to the Appalachians and the Northeast region.
According to reports from CNN, since the beginning of autumn last month, most parts of the United States have struggled to experience prolonged fall chill. However, due to the expansion of cold fronts and the incoming Canadian cold air, this situation is changing. By midweek, temperatures may drop to levels 10 to 15 degrees below the average. In many places, it may feel more like late November than October.
The NWS states that freezing warnings are issued when significant widespread freezing temperatures are expected, and frost warnings are issued during the growing season when the forecasted low temperatures range from 33 to 36 degrees Fahrenheit on clear, calm nights.
Near freezing temperatures can lead to frost formation, damaging the cells of crops and plants, affecting their growth.
In the coming days, most areas in the central and eastern United States will experience significant cold, with high temperatures struggling to exceed 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Data compiled by Newsweek shows that most freezing warnings apply between 1 a.m. and 9 a.m. Central Time on Wednesday, with some extending slightly later.
Temperatures are projected to drop to as low as 26 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Kansas. In certain areas of Minnesota, South Dakota, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nevada, and California, temperatures may dip to 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
The NWS further states that temperatures below freezing, as low as 24 degrees Fahrenheit, are expected in parts of central and northwestern Minnesota as well as the northeastern and southeastern parts of North Dakota.
Later this week, temperatures in most areas of the central and northeastern United States will return to more typical October levels. Cold weather is expected to persist at least until Friday in the southern Appalachians and southeastern United States.
By Saturday, seasonal high temperatures in the 70s and 80s Fahrenheit will reappear in the southeastern regions, with temperatures in the 60s and 70s Fahrenheit common in parts of the Midwest and Northeast.