Kansas City could see 50-degree drop in 12 hours as central US goes from record heat to flash freeze
The midsection of the country is the battle zone as a strong cold front sweeps through erasing the recent spring, even summerlike heat, and sending temperatures down by 50 and 60 degrees in just a day in areas like Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis and Dallas.
Record heat to freezing cold
After seeing the very first city hit the 100-degree mark for the year on Monday in Killeen, Texas; temperatures will tumble. FOX Weather tracks the cold air.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – If you don't like the weather in Kansas City this week, just wait a few minutes. The next 24 hours will be a temperature roller coaster as part of a potent cold front that will cause a radical shift in the weather pattern across the central US, reinforced by an arctic blast.
Tuesday morning may feel like spring, transitioning into a summer-like afternoon. The evening will feel like fall, and Wednesday morning will be more like winter.
SOARING TEMPERATURES COULD SHATTER OVER 300 RECORDS TO CLOSE OUT FEBRUARY
Some cities will drop 50 to 60 degrees in a day
We talk a lot about temperature roller coasters, but this week will seem more like temperature cliff diving. After some cities ditched coats this weekend thanks to springlike temperatures, the bottom drops out and the thermometer plunges back towards record cold just as meteorological spring approaches.
The same system bringing severe storms and widespread rain comes with a big surprise. The powerful cold front sweeping through the country will be plummeting temperatures for millions.
(FOX Weather)
The FOX Weather Center said to brace for whiplash because ahead of the strong cold front, spring flowers and record warmth begin winter in less than a day. Some cities will drop 50 to 60 degrees in just a day.
"If you do the math, that's about 6 to 8 degrees of a temperature loss per hour," FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said. "You notice that. You feel it. It's dramatic. We had record-breaking highs yesterday (Monday). We're going to have record-breaking highs today (Tuesday)."
Records stretched to the north, where St. Louis reached 80 degrees Monday. Abilene, Texas was the first city in the nation to hit 100 degrees in 2024 on Monday.
Temperatures are expected to experience a significant shift, moving from 20-30 degrees above average to 30-40 degrees below average. This is due to the cold front, which has plenty of cold air to work with. The contrast between 80-degree temperatures and 20-30 degree temperatures is expected to occur by midweek.
Violent temperature drop in a day behind a cold front
FOX Weather is tracking a strong cold front that will take the Plains and Midwest from spring like temperatures to well below freezing overnight.
Who is in for the polar plunge?
Kansas City is in for the most extreme temperature drop in recent memory. The FOX Forecast Center expects the city to drop by nearly 60 degrees in 12 hours late Tuesday into Wednesday. This would be its largest 12-hour temperature drop in recorded history. In January 1996, Kansas City dropped from 56 degrees to 3 degrees in 12 hours.
(FOX Weather)
"That doesn't even count the wind," FOX Weather Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen said. "The wind chill is going to feel like about the negative teens."
Here are some cities that will see drastic changes this week:
- Oklahoma City: Monday's high of 88 degrees to a forecast of 31 degrees on Wednesday
- Minneapolis: Monday record high of 65 to Wednesday's forecast of 3 degrees
- Kansas City: Monday's high of 78 degrees to Wednesday's forecast of 19 degrees
- Sioux Falls, South Dakota: Monday's record high of 70 to Wednesday's forecast of 8 degrees
- Dallas: Monday's record high of 94 to Thursday's forecast of 43 degrees
The front will make for a wild ride across the central states as temperatures go from 20 to 35 degrees above average to 10–20 degrees below average. Accompanying this intense temperature swing will be howling winds as high as 40-50 mph. For some in the north, they will feel like it's below zero Wednesday when factoring in the impressive winds.
Severe storms to mark the cold front passage
Where thunderstorms erupt ahead of the front, snow will follow behind.
CROSS-COUNTRY STORM WALLOPS WEST WITH HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOW AHEAD OF MIDWEST TORNADO THREAT ON TUESDAY
![Ahead of the front, watch for severe storms.]()
Image 1 of 3Ahead of the front, watch for severe storms.
![Snow and strong winds follow behind the front.]()
Image 2 of 3Snow and strong winds follow behind the front.
![Florida to Maine will get a blast of winter too but temperatures will drop by 20 degrees instead of 50-60.]()
Image 3 of 3Florida to Maine will get a blast of winter, too, but temperatures will drop by 20 degrees instead of 50-60.
There is a good chance some of our major cities like Chicago, Indianapolis and St. Louis will be dealing with strong storms on Tuesday evening and by Wednesday morning there will be bursts of snow, strong winds and winter-like conditions.
Snow accumulations are going to be minimal due to the preceding rain and warmth, but it could be a travel headache for the Wednesday morning commute.
(FOX Weather)
The crazy theme continues after the storm. The Plains and Midwest temperatures rebound late week and into the weekend. Temperatures are forecast to rebound much above normal again after the cold snap passes.