April cooldown plunges more than 200 million Americans below average on Tuesday
Long-range outlooks suggest this pattern of cooler-than-average temperatures will likely persist through the end of April and perhaps linger into the beginning of May. However, portions of the West will finally turn warmer than average this week and into next week.
April cooldown spreads across most of the country except the West Coast
Most of the Lower 48 will enjoy a week of below-average temperatures due to a change in the jet stream. A large dip in the jet stream will allow multiple systems to swing across the U.S., keeping temperatures relatively cool.
A cold front sweeping across the central, southern and eastern U.S. during April’s final week has wiped away recent warmth that millions in the eastern half of the country had been enjoying.
The cooler air arrived in the Midwest over the weekend and has infiltrated the Southeast and Northeast during the start of the workweek. High temperatures in the 40s and lower to mid-50s have been reported across the Midwest, with 50s and lower 60s being felt in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic and lower to mid-60s in the South from the southern Plains to the Tennessee Valley.
(FOX Weather)
The April cooldown is expected to wane as we progress through the workweek, with about 160 million feeling the cooler-than-average temperatures on Wednesday before decreasing to about 110 million people on Thursday.
Freeze alerts issued for over 3 million people
More than 3 million people from east-central Iowa to northern Illinois are under a Freeze Watch from late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning as low temperatures are expected to plunge into the 20s and 30s.
If you live in an area covered by these freeze alerts, cover up or bring any unprotected plants indoors to avoid potential damage to sensitive vegetation.
WHEN IS THE LAST FREEZE IN MY AREA?
(FOX Weather)
Cold records broken
Record lows were set Sunday morning in several cities across the Plains and Midwest, including Sioux City in Iowa (21 degrees), Omaha in Nebraska (26 degrees), Kansas City in Missouri (31 degrees) and Wichita in Kansas (32 degrees - tie). Indianapolis then tied its daily record low of 28 degrees on Monday morning.
(FOX Weather)
On Tuesday morning, Parkersburg, West Virginia, dipped to 28 degrees, breaking its daily record low of 31 degrees set in 1927.
HUNDREDS OF FIREFIGHTERS CONTINUE TO BATTLE GREAT LAKES FIRE IN NORTH CAROLINA
How long will the April cooldown last?
Long-range outlooks from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center suggest this pattern of cooler-than-average temperatures will likely persist through the end of April and perhaps linger into the beginning of May.
However, portions of the West will finally turn warmer than average this week and into next week.
(FOX Weather)