More Than 30 States Brace for the Season’s First Real Blast of Cold

Over 200 million Americans are going to be reaching for their coats by the weekend as the coldest air of the season spreads across much of the U.S. Here is a look at which states are going to experience the winter blast, as well as just how low the temperatures are going to fall.

Chill in the Air for Over 200 Million Americans

Roughly 30 states will experience the coldest temperatures of the season thus far as a large zone of high pressure anchored over Canada sends the cold air into all areas of the U.S. located east of the Rocky Mountains. The arrival of this cold air will inevitably raise the risk of the first frost of the season for several cities.

While Wednesday was a mild day for most of the eastern half of the country, that began to change on Thursday when the air started to make its way down from Canada. For example, the number of Americans experiencing below-average temperatures surged from just 3 million on Wednesday to over 90 million by Thursday. That number will increase even more on Friday, with approximately 230 million Americans forecast to be dealing with temperatures below what is typical in the middle of November.

The early morning hours on Saturday and Sunday will bring the coldest temperatures of this stretch. Overnight lows will settle in the 30s or lower for much of the eastern U.S. While these temperatures are not predicted to break any records, the pattern will bring the first freeze of the season to many communities. The frigid temperatures will feel like quite a shock to a part of the country that has enjoyed an unseasonably warm fall at the hands of strong El Niño conditions.