Bitter cold winter temperatures are on their way out, but there's a catch

Doyle Rice and Jeanine Santucci
Updated ·4 min read

Yes we know the calendar still says it's fall, but if you're already sick of winter's cold, there is some good news on the way: The bitter Arctic blast that's overspread much of the central, eastern and southern U.S. is slowly starting to ease, forecasters said Saturday.

The cold temps will be replaced by much milder air next week, but the warmth will come after a frigid, snowy weekend for portions of the northeastern U.S. Up to a foot of snow is expected near the Canadian border in the Great Lakes and New England region, and lows in the 20s reached as far south as Georgia and northern Florida on Saturday morning, the National Weather Service said.

"After a January-like cold start to the weekend in the East, temperatures will gradually climb into the first part of next week," said AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski in an online forecast.

There, however, is a catch. That warmer weather will also bring rain and fog for many.

ADVERTISEMENT

A series of storms from Sunday to Thursday will bring drenching rain to many areas in the southern and eastern United States. Just enough cold air may sneak in to bring some snow to parts of the Midwest and Appalachians, AccuWeather meteorologists say.

"At the very least, there will be episodes of rain, drizzle and fog," Sosnowski said, who added that a general 2-4 inches of rain will likely fall along the central Gulf coast, with 1-2 inches of rain likely for the Southeast. Parts of the mid-Atlantic and New England may pick up an inch of rain from the pattern, he said.

Snow to belt the Great Lakes

Snow will still fly this weekend in the snow belt regions of the Great Lakes: "The persistent flow of arctic (air) over the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes has continued to bring lake-effect snows downwind into the snow belt," the National Weather Service said Friday. By Saturday, a clipper system "will bring more widespread snowfall across the upper Great Lakes, reaching into the lower lakes Saturday night," the weather service predicted.

ADVERTISEMENT

"This fast-moving storm will have enough moisture to squeeze out a general 1-3 inches of snow from northwest Ontario to northern New York and northern New England, with local amounts of 6-12 inches, including over some of the mountains," AccuWeather meteorologist Grady Gilman said.

Overall, the weather service said that as much as 2 additional feet of new snow is possible near the eastern shore of Lake Ontario through Saturday. Lighter snowfall amounts are expected elsewhere along the snow belts.

Crossing Guard Julie Bierman assists students along Springfield Pike as they make their way to Wyoming (Ohio) Middle School, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. Early morning, the temperature was around 19 degrees, with the wind chill in the single digits.
Crossing Guard Julie Bierman assists students along Springfield Pike as they make their way to Wyoming (Ohio) Middle School, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. Early morning, the temperature was around 19 degrees, with the wind chill in the single digits.

Frigid, then mild

After wind chills dipped below zero across the mountains of the Appalachians Friday, conditions are expected to improve through the next couple of days as southwesterly winds begin to bring milder air from the western U.S. into the northern and central Plains, the weather service said.

ADVERTISEMENT

The most drastic recovery will be over the northern High Plains, where high temperatures could top 60 degrees by Saturday afternoon.

The milder air will eventually get into central and northern New England later this weekend to early next week, AccuWeather said. On Monday, highs will be into the 40s in Boston, Sosnowski said.

Temperature forecast map

Nearly the entire U.S. is forecast to see above-average temperatures (in orange and red) during the week of Dec. 13-19, 2024, a marked contrast to the recent Arctic chill.
Nearly the entire U.S. is forecast to see above-average temperatures (in orange and red) during the week of Dec. 13-19, 2024, a marked contrast to the recent Arctic chill.

Nasty weather in Northwest

Increasingly unsettled weather is expected for the Pacific Northwest through the weekend, the weather service said.

Rain showers and some high elevation snow will return to Washington State and Oregon by Saturday as the next front moves through.

"The mountain snow and low-elevation rain will progress farther inland, reaching into the northern Rockies by early Sunday as a low-pressure system begins to develop across the northern High Plains into Alberta Province of Canada," the weather service said.

Warm, dry in the Southwest

Other than the Pacific Northwest, much of the remainder of the western U.S. will remain dry and milder than normal this weekend as high pressure dominates the region, the weather service said in a Friday forecast.

ADVERTISEMENT

"High temperatures will be in the 80s across the Southwest while 70s and 60s will prevail from southern California to the Pacific Northwest," the weather service said.

In Texas, light to moderate rain and thunderstorms will spread across most of the state beginning on Saturday before the storm system moves northeastward and brings heavy rain into the lower Mississippi Valley toward the Tennessee Valley starting Sunday, the weather service said.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cold winter temps set to ease in East, but there's a catch

Latest Stories

  • How to survive Canada’s winter: Just move to this frost-free city

    While much of Canada battles sub-zero temperatures and endless snowfall, this city remains an anomaly—a mild oasis amid the country's frozen winter landscape.

  • Winter storm watches in Florida ahead of once-in-a-generation storm

    A major storm could drop significant amounts of snow, ice pellets, and freezing rain across the U.S. Deep South through Tuesday

  • Snow squall warnings line southern Ontario amid deep Arctic chill

    Plenty of snow is on the way as bitterly cold temperatures spawn snow squalls off the still-unfrozen lakes

  • How to quickly defrost your windshield during Canada's extreme cold — and common mistakes to avoid

    As January brings the ice and snow, many of us are braving the elements to get our vehicles ready for the road.

  • Frigid outbreak kicks off potent snow squalls in Ontario, risk of 30+ cm

    The outbreak of Arctic air surging across Ontario will kick off potent snow squalls to start the week

  • These B.C. cities are in line for one of their driest-ever Januarys

    An unusually dry winter pattern continues along the West Coast—and there’s no end in sight

  • Southern California faces most urgent warning for strong winds, extreme fire danger

    Forecasters in Southern California expect to issue a 'particularly dangerous situation' red flag warning for the coming week as the Santa Ana wind forecast worsens.

  • LA fire victims fear rebuilding ordeal. Some will not do it

    Karen Myles, 66, walked out of her Altadena, California home in the middle of the night in her pajamas, confronted by a forest of red and orange flaming trees and live wires from tumbled electric poles sparking in the street. Across Los Angeles on the coast, Pacific Palisades residents Sonia and James Cummings lost a house they bought in 1987 and renovated a decade ago. “It was with the intention of staying there until we were no longer above ground,” said James Cummings, 77.

  • Fire-ravaged Southern California braces for gusty winds and heightened wildfire risk

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern Californians are bracing for gusty winds and a heightened risk of wildfires, less than two weeks after the outbreak of deadly blazes that have killed at least 27 people and charred thousands of homes.

  • Extreme cold warnings scaled back west of Ottawa

    Environment Canada ended extreme cold warnings for many communities west of Ottawa late Monday morning. One remaining warning covers the Deep River area of western Renfrew County.It could feel as cold as –35 into Tuesday in that region, the weather agency said.It was –24 C at Garrison Petawawa at 8 a.m. with wind chill making it feel like –32 before the air started to warm.The threshold for these warnings varies by region: in eastern Ontario, it's when conditions are expected to either reach or

  • A home destroyed by the Eaton Fire stands in front a home that survived in Altadena, Calif., on Monday. Researchers say that because of the types of structures burning in these wildfires, people returning to unburned homes can still face health concerns from airborne compounds in the ash and smoke.

    When Kate Gammon and her family fled their Santa Monica, Calif., home during the recent wildfires, she wasn't sure what they would find when they returned. Though they weren't under an evacuation order, Gammon, who has asthma, told CBC News that the air quality was quickly worsening and the fires were volatile, so they left on Jan. 8, when the fires were about six kilometres away. Four days later, she returned to find that the house had been spared from the flames, but was alarmed to see a layer of ash dotting everything in her yard."It's just raining down on us at night," she said. "They're sort of like big, white, chunky pieces of ash."Researchers now say that because of the massive scale of these wildfires and the types of structures that are burning, people returning home when the initial fire hazard is over can still face health concerns from airborne compounds in the ash and smoke. Firefighters in the state are still working to put out the two largest fires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, which have killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures including homes, schools and banks. On Thursday, the Los Angeles County Health Officer prohibited any cleanup or removal of fire debris until hazardous materials inspections are completed.Ash and dirt in debris from residential and structural fires may contain asbestos, heavy metals and other hazardous substances, the health officer said, noting that people can be exposed to the toxic substances by inhaling ash or particles of fire dust, or through contact with the skin or contaminated drinking water supplies. Kate Gammon took this photo from Santa Monica college around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday Jan. 7, 2025 to show how close the fire was. (Kate Gammon/CBC)As an environmental journalist, Gammon has previously reported on the health hazards posed by ash, not only from brush, but also from thousands of charred structures. That's why she says she avoids touching the ash and wears a mask outdoors.Earlier this week, scientists published their findings about how wildfires that burn both wildland and urban areas can impact indoor air. They studied the 2021 Marshall Fire in Boulder, Colo., where about 1,000 structures burned in eight hours, which could help shed light on urban fires like those in L.A. Post fire headaches, itchy eyes Colleen Reid, a professor at the University of Colorado, studied the health effects among people who returned to unburned homes after that fire. She and her colleagues surveyed residents living near burned structures.Over about five weeks, they also measured levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at one home that survived the fires, but was heavily impacted by the smoke.They found higher-than-normal levels of VOCs persisted for nearly a month inside the home before returning to typical indoor levels. "People who said that their home smelled differently after the fire were more likely six months after the fire to have headache, dry cough, itchy, watery eyes, strange taste in their mouth and sneezing," said Reid, an environmental epidemiologist. WATCH | Wildfire ash, smoke stick around in unburned homes:Reid and her team also surveyed people six months after the fire (642 respondents) and again a year later (413 respondents). The results included:61 per cent of respondents reported campfire- or chemical-like smells in their homes one week after the fire, but they said those smells dissipated over time.65 per cent of respondents reported ash in their homes after the fire.Most respondents were less confident about air quality both in their home and neighbourhood six months after the fire. Most regained confidence by one year.Cleaning tips after wildfiresDelphine Farmer, a Canadian scientist with Colorado State University, studies indoor air as part of an experiment at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md., where she and her team analyzed the composition of particles inside a home-turned-laboratory after they introduced wildfire smoke.Farmer found that smoke buries itself into painted surfaces, then slowly starts to come back into the air, which means residents are exposed to indoor pollutants for a long time after a fire.WATCH | The science of indoor air after wildfires: To provide a guide for people who need to clean after a fire, the scientists are also studying how different air cleaners work and how surface cleaning impacts air quality. Based on her findings, Farmer's cleaning recommendations include: Opening windows as soon as smoke pollution clears. The sooner you clean out smoke, the better.Wash fabrics like bedsheets, clothing and curtains that may have retained smoke. Vacuum floors. Wear an N95 mask while doing this as it can stir up soot or smoke debris.Mop floors with soap and water and wipe down every surface you reasonably can, including walls if your region got a lot of smoke. Wash ceiling fans and other infrequently-cleaned surfaces. Change the water as it gets dirty.Clean the 'hidden spaces' of your home like attics, basements, closets and garages. If your HVAC system was running, consider getting it professionally cleaned. Change the filters on your home HVAC system or air purifiers and run the fans constantly.Vacuum and wash furniture as soon as possible. If you still smell smoke, consider deep cleaning or replace.

  • Houston airports, schools to close as Texas to Florida prepares for potentially historic winter storm

    Millions of people living along the Gulf Coast and into the Southeast are bracing for a rare, significant winter storm that’s expected to significantly impact travel and lead to power outages due to heavy snow and ice starting Monday evening.

  • L.A. Wildfires: Firefighters Extend Containment Amid Calmer Weather; Additional Evacuation Orders Lifted; LA Mayor Appoints Rebuilding Czar – Update

    UPDATED with latest: As the Santa Ana winds quieted over the weekend, there was more good news regarding containment figures for both the Palisades and Eaton blazes. The former fire is 52% contained (up from 43% yesterday) and the latter fire is contained at 81% (risen from 73%). The reprieve is much-needed for fire personnel …

  • Major southern winter storm threatens all-time snow records

    A major winter storm is brewing for the U.S. Gulf Coast as a powerful blast of Arctic air sinks south this week

  • Chiefs vs Texans weather updates: Kansas City will be cold for playoff game Saturday

    The Chiefs vs. Texans divisional round playoff game won't be quite as cold as Kansas City's playoff opener last year, but it will be below freezing.

  • A first-of-its kind project is tapping energy beneath the ground to heat and cool homes

    Heating and cooling heavily relies on planet-warming fossil fuels. But some energy companies are looking to an unlimited thermal energy source below their feet as a clean alternative.

  • Heavy snow totals likely as storm hits Atlantic Canada, eastern Quebec

    Prepare for deteriorating road conditions Sunday night into Monday

  • Canada extreme cold: 11 things to help keep you warm in freezing weather

    From winter jackets and boots to heated socks and gloves, these picks are built for Canadian weather.

  • Orthodox Russians celebrate Epiphany amid unusually warm weather

    However local emergency services in some regions cancelled events, saying it was too hazardous for worshippers to cut bathing holes in icy ponds and riversView on euronews

  • Why are lone homes left standing after the fires? It's not entirely luck

    Emails and videos of burned buildings in Los Angeles next to those left standing have been flying back and forth among architects, builders and fire safety specialists around the world.