Arctic blast to hit US east coast, as death toll from last week's winter storm reaches 85
The National Weather Service has issued an extreme cold warning for this weekend for Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana, as well as parts of Virginia and North Carolina
The United States is preparing for another blast of freezing temperatures, snow, and blizzards this weekend after a deadly winter storm killed 85 people last week.
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The National Weather Service has issued an extreme cold warning for this weekend for Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana, as well as parts of Virginia and North Carolina.
North Carolina and South Carolina have both declared a state of emergency ahead of the cold blast hitting their states.
They are expected to be hit with moderate to heavy snow, high winds, and possible blizzard conditions from Saturday going into Sunday.
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North Carolina Governor Josh Stein said: "This weekend, snow and bitterly cold temperatures are expected across much of North Carolina, and strong tides and high winds could cause flooding along the coast.
"Please plan ahead and make every effort to stay off the roads Saturday and Sunday.
"Let’s stick together, keep each other safe, and hope for a fun snow day."
South Carolina's Governor Henry McMaster said: "Unlike last weekend, there’s no threat of deadly ice damage and extended power outages – just slushy snow on roads and bridges that could freeze overnight into Sunday morning.
"Stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary. As a precaution, last Wednesday’s state of emergency has remained in effect for this weekend."
The Associated Press puts the death toll of last week's winter storm at around 85 people from areas as far-reaching as Texas and New Jersey, with roughly half of the deaths reported in Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana.
The freezing temperatures caused car crashes, hypothermia, and other fatal accidents.
The National Weather Service said on Friday that arctic air moving into the southeast will cause already frigid temperatures to plunge to minus 10C in the evening in cities like Nashville - where more than 80,000 properties remained without power over five days after another huge storm dumped snow and ice across the East.
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for all of North and South Carolina, plus parts of Georgia, eastern Tennessee and Kentucky, as well as southern Virginia.
Areas along the coast in Texas are also under a freeze warning.
From Sunday morning, below-freezing temperatures will be felt as far south as southern Florida.
These sorts of temperatures have not been experienced in the region since a record cold month in December 1989.
The National Weather Service expects "numerous daily low temperature records... to be challenged or broken from the Mid-Atlantic southward, and especially across the Florida Peninsula Sunday and Monday".