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Arctic Blast Drives Lake-Effect Snow and Record Cold Across Eastern U.S. as UK Issues Rain and Snow Alerts

Forecasters say narrow snow bands have dumped more than a foot in parts of the Great Lakes and triggered winter and freeze warnings, with a brief warmup expected for many by midweek.

Overview

  • Over a foot of lake-effect snow has been observed in Great Lakes belts, with 10-inch-plus totals from northeast Illinois into southeast Wisconsin and additional heavy snow in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and northwest Indiana.
  • Record- or near-record cold is spreading through the eastern two-thirds of the U.S., with freeze and wind chill alerts reaching the Southeast and forecasts calling for lows near 30 degrees in Jacksonville, Florida, on Tuesday morning.
  • The National Weather Service has issued multiple winter weather advisories and warnings, and New York’s tri-state area is under freeze warnings as officials urge protection for crops and sensitive vegetation.
  • Travel impacts include hazardous roads in lake-effect corridors and earlier disruptions in the Chicago area, where school closures and more than 450 flight cancellations were reported as snow and wind intensified.
  • In the UK, the Met Office has yellow warnings for heavy rain and gusty winds and expects below-freezing nights in Scotland with a chance of mountain snow, while guidance points to a generally short-lived cold snap.