Overview
- Wind chills are forecast to drop to -20° to -30° in parts of the Upper Midwest, with Chicago and the Twin Cities expecting subzero temperatures Saturday night into Sunday.
- Multiple clipper systems will bring light, localized snow with some bands trending south of Chicago, while lake-effect snow persists in the Great Lakes with slick travel at times.
- Colder model guidance raises a freeze risk into the Deep South early next week, with inland areas along and north of I-10 facing a potential hard or patchy freeze Sunday night into Monday.
- Travel impacts are already occurring in the Northeast, with Maine reporting school delays, reduced highway speeds and black ice as blustery winds gust 35–45 mph.
- Before the front arrives, a short burst of warmth returns in some regions Friday and Saturday — upper 60s to low 70s in southeast Louisiana and near 50° in Kansas City — before a sharp cooldown Sunday.