An unusually strong jet stream dip will make some areas of Mississippi colder than Alaska on Sunday.
Published Mar. 10, 2022 8:34 PM EST | Updated Mar. 12, 2022 10:33 AM EST
Record-low temperatures are forecast to rush into the Southeast on the heels of a major storm. On Saturday morning, much of the coastal Southeast will be impacted by severe weather that is forecast to roll through the area. After the threat of flooding, hail and even tornadoes recedes, cold air will quickly move in.
A blast of cold air has traveled across much of the United States through the second half of the week, breaking records from Washington State to Oklahoma. Cold air began to tie records on Wednesday when both Olympia, Washington, and Seattle tied record daily low temperatures for the day.
The cold air continued to move to the east, breaking daily record low temperatures in Oregon and Idaho. By Thursday, the cold air had dropped temperatures to 20 degrees Fahrenheit below zero in Laramie, Wyoming, breaking the previous daily low-temperature record by 5 degrees. Denver, Colorado, broke a record low on Thursday morning by 4 degrees, recording an early morning temperature of 7 degrees below zero.
"Currently, the cold air that is expected to impact the Southeast states is diving southeastward across the U.S. Plains," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Rob Miller.
The cold air and developing storm were helping to fuel a swath of snow from eastern New Mexico, northern Texas and Oklahoma to southeastern Michigan, northwestern Ohio and southern Ontario on Friday.
The arctic weather worsened for the Plains on Friday night, sending temperatures in Minneapolis over 20 degrees below normal. The bitter cold will advance into much of Texas before impacting much of the Mississippi Valley.
On Saturday, the cold will expand into the eastern United States, dropping temperatures 30 to 40 degrees in just 24 hours for places like Nashville and Pittsburgh. Areas as far north as New York and as far south as Florida will experience at least a 20-degree temperature drop in just 24 hours by Saturday afternoon.
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Motorists should be prepared for slippery conditions Saturday morning from Tennessee to the northern part of Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia due to a small amount of snow and a freeze-up.
Many locations in the Southeast will have high temperatures below the normal low temperature on Saturday, including Atlanta, Nashville and Birmingham.
This is due to an unusually strong dip in the jet stream which is allowing the late-season surge of cold air to dip so far south. The unusual jet stream setup will cause lower temperatures to dip even further on Saturday night into Sunday morning for the Southeast.
Bryson City, North Carolina, is forecast to break its record daily low temperature by more than 10 degrees on Sunday, with temperatures expected to drop to 11 degrees. The current record low for Bryson City on March 13 is 22 degrees, set in 2000.
Several other cities are also forecast to break record low temperatures come Sunday morning, including Knoxville and Mobile, Alabama. Even areas in Florida will dip below freezing, including Jacksonville which is forecast to bottom out at 30 degrees.
Tupelo, Mississippi, is forecast to dip down to 20 degrees early Sunday morning, threatening the record daily low of 21 degrees for the city. A temperature of 20 degrees would make Tupelo colder than Anchorage, Alaska, on Sunday morning. Anchorage is expected to drop down to 23 degrees on Sunday morning, which is slightly above average for this time of year.
The cold snap could have damaging consequences in terms of some agriculture in the region. There is the potential for a damaging freeze where blossoming and bud break has occurred with fruit trees. In particular, peach trees in Georgia and South Carolina could be affected Saturday night with temperatures forecast to drop into the 20s.
After dodging heavy rain and delays for the first few rounds of play, PGA golfers at The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, will have to contend with Mother Nature again on Sunday morning, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Courtney Travis.
"Even after the rain has finished, temperatures at TPC Sawgrass are expected to be around the freezing mark as the sun rises and players tee off,” said Travis.
Freezing temperatures have not been a concern at The Players in more than 15 years. The Championship, since coming to Ponte Vedra Beach in 1976, was originally played in March but was moved to May in 2007. In 2019, the tournament was moved back from being played to mid-March.
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These low temperatures in the Southeast could cause freezing and frost concerns.
"These frost and freeze concerns extend into central Florida Sunday morning and could cause some issues for the Florida citrus crops. Certainly, anyone who has plants or their own gardens will want to take precautions to protect their plants," said Miller.
But the cold air won't last long with temperatures expecting to be back to near-normal by Monday, according to Miller. Some cities that experienced record cold on Sunday will quickly whiplash back into higher temperatures within 24 hours.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will experience a temperature increase of more than 40 degrees from Sunday morning into Monday afternoon. The city is forecast to bottom out at 26 degrees before rebounding to 69 degrees on Monday.
"The cold shot is going to be a quick one, with very cold low temperatures Saturday night into Sunday a.m., then Sunday afternoon temperatures should be a good 10-15 degrees warmer, and already closer to normal by Monday," Miller said.
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