Wind chills as low as minus-45

The large snowstorm happening across the Midwest and East today is ushering in a new wave of cold, Arctic air. Wind chill advisories and warnings have already been posted.

A blast of cold, Arctic air is moving into the eastern two-thirds again just in time for the weekend. The current frigidness has a tight grip on the central portions of the U.S. from the northern Plains and Upper Midwest to northern Texas and the mid-Mississippi Valley.

Highs are as much as 15 to 20 degrees below average for this time of year across the central U.S. today. Mid-day temps will be in the single digits all the way down to Kansas City, Mo., but just south of there, the mercury is still in the below-freezing zone of the teens and low 20s. Brr!

A low-pressure trough in the higher levels of the atmosphere is the culprit for this next blast of chilly weather. If those high temperatures are bringing a shiver down your spine, just wait until you hear about the wind chills.

There is a good reason for the wind chill advisories and warnings. Havre, Mont., could have dangerous wind chills as low as minus-45 today. Northern Missouri, including Grant City, could have wind chills as low as minus-25 through the evening. We hope your dinner plans don’t require going out!

The wind chill advisories do extend all the way to the Florida Panhandle. Tallahassee and Panama City are not used to such cold and could have wind chills in the teens on Saturday morning. Make sure to keep extra layers handy when heading outdoors, no matter where you are on the map.

This bout of bitterly cold weather does not last long, fortunately. Soon this coming week, it will be replaced with much-above-average temperatures and most of the U.S. will be involved, with the exception of the Rockies.

A peek into the coming week is already available on the TemperatureRadar for you to see the change in temps. What a difference a couple of days make!