Nineteen states are under freeze warnings for the next 24 hours as temperatures suddenly drop
A freeze warning has been issued for 19 states as temperatures are forecast to dip below 30 degrees over the next 24 hours.
The cold snap will impact states in the Midwest, Great Plains, South and Northeast, including the Dakotas, Ohio, Texas and North Carolina.
Temperatures could drop into the mid-20s in parts of Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Nevada and California.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), freeze warnings are issued when “significant, widespread freezing temperatures are expected.”
Cold snaps – or sudden, short periods of low temperatures – can damage outdoor plants, crops and pipes. The NWS advises people in affected areas to cover outdoor plants and drains ahead of this cold weather.
States in dark blue are under a freeze warning for the next 24 hours as the NWS predicts temperatures will dip into the 30s
Although freezing temperatures are normal in mid-October, the NWS warned that the plunge could kill crops and other sensitive vegetation and damage unprotected outdoor pipes.
“A mid-October chill will be felt across much of Central and Eastern America over the next few days as highs struggle to get above 50 degrees in most locations,” the NWS said in a Short Range Public Discussion.
“Low temperatures are also expected to fall well below average for this time of year and into the 30s, leading to widespread frost and freeze chances between the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic,” it added the agency.
The NWS also forecast freezing temperatures as low as 24 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of central, northwest and west-central Minnesota and southeastern North Dakota.
Freeze warnings have been issued for large parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, and small parts of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Virginia, West Virginia, Northern -Carolina and Kentucky.
The most warnings were issued at 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, October 17.
Frost advisories have also been issued in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, as well as small parts of Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Ohio, Wyoming and Nebraska. .
Temperatures could drop into the mid-20s in parts of Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Nevada and California.
According to the NWS, a frost advisory is announced when overnight minimum temperatures fall between 33 degrees Fahrenheit and 36 degrees Fahrenheit during the growing season.
Frost can damage crops and outdoor plants by bursting their cells. This is because the water in the plant cells expands when it freezes.
Sensitive outdoor plants can be killed if left uncovered,” the NWS said. ‘Take steps now to protect vulnerable plants from the cold.’
Additionally, cold breaks can freeze pipes and cause them to burst.
“To prevent water pipes from freezing, wrap them, drain them, or let them drip slowly,” the NWS said.