The heart of the next arctic air mass will sit over the Plains and UpperMidwest by Thursday. Actual temperatures Thursday afternoon will not rise abovezero as far south as northern Kansas. Some communities over the northern tierwill have highs --yes highs-- of more than 10 below zero!In addition to the bitter cold, the wind will gust past 25 mph from the easternDakotas and Minnesota down to Missouri, creating dangerously lowAccuWeather.com RealFeel temperatures.Combining the wind and cold, it will feel more like 30 or 40 below zero overthe eastern Dakotas and western Minnesota during the day Thursday! People willreally need to bundle up, because it will take only a short time of exposurefor frostbite to develop.
This arctic air mass will completely overwhelm most of the eastern two-thirdsof the nation by the end of the week, with the potential for a damaging citrusfreeze over parts of southern Texas and Florida this weekend.
People planning to travel during this time should make sure they have a winterkit in their car. It is also important to have at least a quarter of a tank ofgas in your tank when you park your car for the night, as freezing could causethe car not to start in the morning.
Story by AccuWeather.com Meteorologists Meghan Evans and Brett Anderson.
