2024-03-17 04:51:00
(CNN) — After weeks of spring warmth, parts of the United States will briefly return to winter next week, with below-freezing temperatures possible for much of the eastern half of the country.
This Tuesday marks the official start of astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere following the warmest winter on record.
But it looks like Mother Nature has the seasons mixed up, because spring will feel more like winter early next week. More than half of the US population will experience temperatures at or below freezing.
The cold is not just an anomaly, it will pose a risk to agricultural interests in the Southeast, where the growing season is underway.
The cold weather will be a shock to many in the eastern half of the country who experienced warmer than average temperatures last week; Many southern cities will still have maximums of -6° this Saturday. But that changes this Sunday as cold weather begins to creep into the Midwest, moving south and east over time.
For this Monday, the temperature drops drastically and colder air spreads across much of the eastern half of the country.
Temperatures might drop by more than 6 degrees in St. Louis, from the high 15s this Saturday to the low 4s this Monday. The high temperature in Atlanta might drop up to 15 degrees this Saturday through Monday, from the low 20s to the mid 10s.
These temperatures may not be frigid, but in parts of the south they are more typical for the heart of winter.
Memphis, Tennessee, and Huntsville, Alabama, are forecast to have a high of 10 degrees this Monday, typical temperatures for mid-January.
Cold air will continue to spread eastward Monday night into Tuesday, eventually reaching much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. New York will drop from a high of 15 degrees this Saturday to 7 degrees this Tuesday.
Weather on CNN
The high temperature in Philadelphia this Tuesday is expected to be 7 degrees, its normal high for February 19.
Low temperatures will also be decreasing. Temperatures in the Southeast this Tuesday morning will be -12° to -9° below normal for this time of year. Atlanta, Charlotte and Birmingham, Alabama, are expected to see temperatures drop as low as -1° degrees this Tuesday morning, posing the greatest risk to plants.
Bringing plants indoors is the easiest way to protect them from a severe frost, but if you can’t do that, covering them can also help.
Sheets, towels or blankets can be used to help trap radiant heat from the soil around the plants. Use stakes with your plant covers or place them on patio furniture so they don’t crush the plant.
Temperatures will rebound fairly quickly in the Southeast toward the end of the week, so hold on to that sunscreen and allergy medicine as spring will be in full swing soon.
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