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More than 40million Americans are bracing for sub-zero temperatures as an Arctic blast is set to blanket over a dozen states, stretching from Idaho to Michigan.
Almost 900 flights have been grounded across the nation as the heavy snowstorm and Arctic winds that swept across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest over the weekend continues.
Temperatures are predicted to plummet up to 40F degrees lower than average in the coming days as millions remain under wind chill advisory warnings.
The crippling weather bomb will see a freezing wind chill gust across the northern tier of the nation, which can cause frostbite to set in after just 10 minutes of exposure.
Millions are facing bitter arctic winds in the coming days as over a dozen states will be hit by plummeting temperatures
Numerous states have been placed under wind chill warnings, which could result in further travel chaos into the week
The National Weather Service issued the wind chill advisory due to a ‘prolonged and potentially significant’ freezing weather front, as ice accumulation is expected across at least 15 states, stretching from the Northern Plains to the Tennessee Valley.
The states affected by the severe weather warnings include regions of Texas, Minnesota, North Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Montana.
‘Total freezing rain amounts could become significant across parts of central Texas, southwest Oklahoma, central Arkansas, and western Tennessee, where over a quarter inch of ice accrual is forecast,’ the forecaster said.
‘Additionally, low to moderate chances for three-day ice accretion over a half inch exists over parts of central Texas and Arkansas.’
Parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, and West Tennessee are expected to be under the ice storm warning from Monday evening, as the warning states that travel could be ‘nearly impossible’ in the region until Wednesday afternoon.
Following a month marked by above average temperatures and mild weather for much of the nation, millions will be hit with plummeting temperatures in the coming days
By Tuesday, the freezing weather front will stretch south into parts of Texas and Oklahoma, including Austin, Dallas and Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City is predicted to be hit with up to an inch of snowfall alongside bitter icy winds and frost, while Springfield, Missouri will see snow and sleet up to an inch.
‘The snow will result in reduced visibility and the snow/ice will produce hazardous driving conditions,’ the weather service warned.
Dozens of states will be under weather alerts through Wednesday, with freezing rain and sleet expected to batter Eastern Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley, potentially causing scattered flash floods.
Several Texas school districts have closed amid the winter weather warnings, while hundreds of flights out of North Texas airports have been cancelled Monday following the Arctic weather’s arrival in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Travel chaos is set to sweep over a dozen states as gusting icy winds and severe snowstorms are forecast into the week
Over the weekend, several states were blanketed with snow as the wintery weather swept in, as Colorado’s mountainous regions were left with almost 3 feet of snow.
Areas of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Colorado and northern Utah will continue to see light to moderate snowfall through Monday.
The Central Appalachian regions are also set to be hit with further snowfall, which will spread to the Northeast in the coming days as New England will see up to 7 inches of snow by mid-week.
States including Washington, Minnesota and Illinois have all already been covered by the arctic storm, with lows averaging well below -15F in many areas.
The piercing temperatures will feel even colder as the weather front will bring icy -45F wind gusts of up to 30mph across the affected states.
Severe weather conditions will push east through the week, as Washington DC, Philadelphia and Boston all forecast to hit sub-zero temperatures.
‘Dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills are forecast across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest through early next week,’ the Climate Prediction Center said over the weekend.
The snowstorm led to the death of one person on Sunday as the severe weather caused a 40 car pileup on a Wyoming interstate, pictured
The incoming freezing weather front is expected to cause further travel chaos after Wyoming was hit with icy roads and poor visibility over the weekend
Another horror road accident was caused by the arctic blast in Wisconsin over the weekend, which saw at least 25 people rushed to hospital amid a massive 85-car pileup
‘Expect much below normal temperatures across the central/northern Plains to interior portions of the Pacific Northwest for the weekend into early next week.
‘This would be the coldest weather since Christmas for this region, with locations from eastern Montana to northern Minnesota likely remaining below zero for highs Saturday through Monday, and perhaps into Tuesday.
‘Wind chills could reach 40 below at times for these areas. Highs in the 0-to-10-degree range may extend as far south as northeast Colorado and northern Kansas.’
The freezing weather front may come as a shock following a January that has been marked by clear weather and mild temperatures for many.
Chicago and Kansas City are both averaging over nine degrees warmer than normal for January, while Minneapolis and Oklahoma City have been more than six degrees above average.
The drastic shift is instead expected to cause severe travel chaos across over a dozen states, particularly due to iced-up roads and high winds.
Treacherous travel conditions are expected to continue across the Midwest throughout the week, with temperatures on Tuesday dipping to -14F degrees in Des Moines and -23F degrees in Minneapolis.
The travel chaos has already caused the death of one person on Sunday in Wyoming as the heavy snowstorm led to a devastating 40-car interstate pileup.
A large portion of Interstate 39/90 in Wisconsin was also shutdown on Friday afternoon after the wintery conditions led to a horror 85-car pileup.
At least 25 people were taken to hospital following the collision, which investigators confirmed was at least partially caused by the icy weather.
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