Deep south chill: Arctic cold

The week will end with frigid conditions for the South and East.

Temperatures will drop to close out the week across the southern and eastern United States due to a polar air mass that will bring cold weather, and with the wind, conditions will feel bitterly cold.

A cold front will move across the Southeast and the East on Thursday, opening the door to the cold. This cold air mass will be historic for several cities in the Southeast. Cities such as Miami, where temperatures could drop into the lower 40s, may experience their coldest weather in three years.

And if we factor in the wind, temperatures will feel much colder than what the thermometer shows. Wind gusts over 20 mph will make temperatures feel like 12 to 18°F across northern Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, while Central Florida will feel like it’s in the mid-20s°F early Friday morning.

As for precipitation, it will remain ahead of the front. A few snow flurries are possible in parts of southeastern Georgia, such as Savannah, and in portions of central South Carolina, but it is more likely that snow will reach this same area on Sunday with the arrival of the next cold front, once cold air is already in place.

Rain will impact northern, central, and southern Florida on Thursday, beginning in the morning in the north and exiting southern Florida by early evening. We do not expect significant rainfall totals, but any rain will be welcome as the state continues to deal with a dangerous drought.