Gulf Coast Braces for Rare Winter Storm as Brutal Cold Settles Across U.S.

An intense blast of arctic air is sweeping across much of the United States to start the week, following a storm system off the East Coast that dumped snow over the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast over the weekend.

But as the those regions dig out from the snow, a rare and significant winter storm will threaten the Gulf Coast states and the Southeast beginning Monday night, with the possibility of up to 10 inches of snow in some places where far smaller accumulations can snarl everyday life.

The bitterly cold air mass is affecting the western, central and eastern United States this week, causing temperatures to plunge far below normal for January. On Monday, high temperatures are expected to be 20 to 30 degrees colder than average.

Across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest, temperatures are expected to be in the negative teens and single digits. The Rockies, central Plains and Midwest are likely to see highs in the single digits to teens, while the East Coast, New England and the Mid-Atlantic brace for temperatures in the teens and 20s.

The snowstorm that moved through the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic on Sunday left some of the largest accumulations of the season. Two towns in West Virginia, Thomas and Elkins, each recorded 16 inches. Accident, Md., just south of the Pennsylvania border, recorded 14.5 inches. In New York, the largest totals were in the southeast part of the state, north of New York City, with around eight inches in Fahnestock State Park, Highland Mills and Hopewell Junction. Central Park recorded 1.6 inches.