Cold front brings sharp drop in temperatures across U.S.

A strong cold front is pushing across the eastern half of the country this week, dropping temperatures well below average from the Midwest to the Northeast while a separate Pacific storm system moves into the West with heavy rain and mountain snow.

The National Weather Service weather prediction center said the eastern U.S. will see some of the coldest conditions behind the front, with daytime highs mainly in the 40s and 50s across the Midwest and Northeast. Overnight lows drop into the 20s and 30s in parts of the interior Northeast and Ohio Valley, prompting freeze warnings across portions of the mid-Atlantic, including North Carolina which is set to see below-freezing temperatures well after the last average frost.

A temperature map from the National Digital Forecast Database shows widespread 20s and 30s across the Great Lakes and interior Northeast early Tuesday, with 40s stretching through the Midwest and lower 50s into the mid-Atlantic. Warmer conditions remain in place across the Southeast, where lows stay in the 60s and 70s, including Florida.

“The dramatic temperature drop will lead to widespread frost and freeze conditions, especially away from the immediate lakeshores of the Great Lakes and across the interior Northeast. We are looking at two consecutive very cold mornings for many areas,” Brett Anderson, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, said. “The biggest concern is Monday night into Tuesday morning, as high pressure builds overhead, creating ideal cooling conditions under clear skies and light winds. Expect widespread freezing conditions, with much of interior New England, upstate New York and parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia dropping into the 20s with a hard ⁠freeze.”

Behind the system, the West is trending cooler as a deep Pacific storm moves inland. The system is bringing widespread precipitation to the West Coast, including locally heavy rain in California and heavy mountain snow in the Sierra Nevada, where totals could reach 1 to 2 feet through Tuesday.

Forecasters also warn of possible flooding in parts of Northern and Central California due to repeated rounds of rain, along with expanding precipitation into the Pacific Northwest, Great Basin and Southern California.

Farther east, a lingering frontal ⁠boundary will keep daily thunderstorms in place across Texas through midweek. Some storms could produce isolated flash flooding, especially where repeated rainfall sets up ⁠across central Texas and later near the upper Texas Gulf Coast.

Despite the active weather on both coasts, much of the central U.S. will see a brief warm-up in the middle of the week. High pressure will push temperatures into the 70s and 80s across the Plains before cooler air filters in from the West later in the ⁠week.

The system is expected to gradually shift east through midweek, bringing a return to more seasonable conditions after the sharp temperature swing.

How to protect plants from freezing temperatures

Officials are urging residents to take steps now to protect sensitive plants.

Recommended actions include:

• Covering or bringing in tender plants
• Draining ⁠irrigation systems
• Disconnecting garden hoses
• Insulating or covering exposed outdoor pipes

The frost risk comes as the region remains very dry, with additional fire concerns expected later in the week as temperatures rebound.

”After a stretch of unusually warm weather pushed many plants ahead of schedule, this sudden drop in temperatures creates a real risk for widespread frost damage,” ⁠Tyler Roys, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, said in a news release. “Blossoms and buds that emerged early are especially vulnerable. Temperatures dropping below freezing for just a few hours can significantly impact fruit production later in the season.”