Weather report: Cold and dry in the South

In the West, cool conditions are confined to the Northwest, where dense fog is causing some travel disruptions. Throughout the region—and especially in the Southwest—the lack of January precipitation is increasing concerns with respect to sub-par snow packs and summer water supplies.

On the Plains, dry weather prevails, except for some light snow in the vicinity of an Arctic front draped across eastern Nebraska and neighboring areas. Mild, breezy weather on the High Plains contrasts with frigid conditions in the eastern Dakotas. The morning’s temperatures fell to near -20°F in the Red River Valley, along the North Dakota-Minnesota border.

In the Corn Belt, bitterly cold, breezy weather is increasing livestock stress. This morning’s low temperatures generally ranged from 0 to -20°F in the upper Midwest. Precipitation is confined to the middle Missouri Valley, where some light snow is falling, and areas downwind of the Great Lakes.

In the South, cool, dry weather prevails, but this morning’s temperatures remained well above freezing in Florida. However, recent rainfall has largely bypassed the southern Atlantic region, maintaining heavy irrigation demands in Florida’s winter agricultural belt.

Outlook: Very cold conditions will persist through week’s end across the Midwest and Northeast, but warmer weather will return to the Deep South. Farther west, the Plains will experience rapid temperature fluctuations, while generally mild weather will cover the West. Little or no precipitation can be expected for the remainder of the week across the nation’s mid-section, but a late-week storm will produce light rain in the Southeast and some freezing rain, sleet, and snow across the Midwest and Northeast. Elsewhere, precipitation will arrive at mid-week along the Pacific Coast, followed by some additional rain and snow showers in the Northwest. Five-day precipitation totals could reach 1 to 2 inches in the Pacific Northwest and approach an inch in the central Appalachians. The NWS 6- to 10-day outlook for January 26-30 calls for near- to above-normal temperatures nationwide, except for colder-thannormal conditions from the Pacific Northwest to the Dakotas. Meanwhile, near- to above-normal precipitation across the majority of the U.S. will contrast with drier-than-normal weather across Florida’s peninsula, on the southern Plains, and along the Pacific Coast.

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