Overnight Record Lows a Potential Across the South Over Next Few Days

Posted: October 17, 2022 12:18 pm

The weather is set to make an abrupt pivot over the next few days as a potent disturbance in the atmosphere brings much colder temperatures to the central and eastern U.S. The mass of cold air will plunge all the way into much of the South, bringing the chance of record lows across a large part of the region.

Record Lows a Possibility Across the South on Tuesday and Wednesday

Some areas of the Northeast will see the first snow of the season out of this weather maker. While those in the South will not see any wintry precipitation, they may be in line for overnight lows that near the freezing mark on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. These readings would be highly abnormal for this time of October.

Cities that can expect to see readings in the low 30s during the overnight hours include Kansas City, Omaha, Des Moines, St. Louis, Nashville, Lexington, and Little Rock. The good news is that the growing season is generally over by this time of the year in the Midwest.

Daily highs will take a turn throughout the bulk of the central U.S. Kansas City and Des Moines are both predicted to hang out in the upper 40s for a high on Tuesday. It will be a chilly high of 53 degrees in Nashville by Tuesday with breezy conditions. Fortunately, there will be plenty of sunshine in this area.

Freezing Temperatures Far to the South

Residents in cities as far south as Nashville, Knoxville, and Birmingham are forecast to see the lows approach the freezing mark for the first part of the week. The culprit will be a cold front that continues to move farther to the south and into the Gulf Coast region stretching from eastern Texas and into the Florida Panhandle.

Although the areas right along the coast will avoid the bitter cold, those located farther inland will not be shielded by the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The abnormally cold weather is a dramatic departure for a part of the country that had been recording temperatures that were well above normal just a few weeks ago. It was less than a month ago that areas such as Nashville set record highs at the century mark.

It will take longer for the chill to hit the central South. Mississippi and Louisiana are not forecast to see the lows in the 30s until Wednesday morning.

Although the Midwest has wrapped up the growing season, the freezing temperatures may pose a risk to crops that have not been harvested in the South. Late-season crops in areas where these readings are not the norm during the middle of October may be at risk as the cold moves through the region. Home gardeners will want to bring in sensitive crops or cover them up over the nighttime hours.

Looking Ahead to the End of the Week

The disturbance responsible for the cold readings will move to the north and back into Canada by the end of the week. This movement will bring warmer temperatures to the Midwest and the South by Thursday.

By Friday, the mercury will be back to about normal for the third week of October. For instance, after seeing highs in the low 50s on Monday, Kansas City is forecast to be back into the low 80s by Friday.

Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline for reference later.

Recent Posts