Millions across the U.S. brace for plummeting temperatures and winter storms

BOSTON —  Frigid temperatures engulfed Texas and other parts of the South on Monday ahead of a rare winter storm expected to bring heavy snow and disruptive ice accumulations to the region into Wednesday, sending residents scurrying to insulate pipes, check heating systems and stock emergency kits.

In Texas, both William P. Hobby Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston announced Sunday night that flight operations would be suspended Tuesday in anticipation of hazardous conditions.

Meanwhile, people from the Northern Plains to the tip of Maine were experiencing bitterly cold temperatures Monday as an Arctic air mass caused temperatures to plunge well below normal with dangerously cold wind chills, while the East Coast contends with a thick blanket of snow.

Winter storm warnings stretched from Texas to Florida, with heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain expected in the region into Wednesday.

Heavy lake-effect snow was expected in western New York state Monday through Wednesday morning, with 1 to 2 feet possible in some areas including Oswego along Lake Ontario.

Marc Chenard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in College Park, Md., projected that as many as 70 million residents will be under some kind of winter storm warning in coming days.

Snow on the Gulf Coast

Early this week, the colder temperatures will dip into the South, where as many as 30 million people starting Monday could see a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain. The unusual conditions are expected to stretch from Texas into northern Florida and the Carolinas.

Winter storm warnings were in effect in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida panhandle on Monday. The storm was expected to affect Texas on Monday evening, then spread eastward through Wednesday morning with heavy snow expected along and to the north of the Interstate 10 corridor with sleet and freezing rain in south Texas and southeast Georgia and northern Florida.

Numerous freeze warnings were in place in northern Florida and along much of the Gulf Coast. Forecasters warned that the subfreezing morning lows will pose a risk to sensitive vegetation and exposed plumbing in areas not accustomed to harsh winter temperatures.

The weather service warned that major traffic and travel disruptions were likely since these areas are not accustomed to impactful winter weather. Both William P. Hobby Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston announced Sunday night that flight operations would be suspended Tuesday in anticipation of hazardous conditions. Widespread subfreezing overnight lows were forecast along the Gulf Coast from Monday night through the rest of the week and the weather service warned that power outages were possible in areas of significant snow and ice, which could exacerbate the effects of the cold weather.

The unusually cold temperatures and storm spurred officials in New Orleans to cancel an event they had planned Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. New Orleans residents woke up to below-freezing temperatures Monday as the Arctic blast moved into the region.

Return of the Arctic blast

Much of the Eastern Seaboard will be enduring some of this winter’s coldest temperatures.

An area from the Rockies into the Northern Plains will see colder than normal weather over several days, with temperatures forecast to drop to between minus 30 degrees to minus 55 degrees on Monday. Subzero wind chills are forecast to reach as far south as Oklahoma and the Tennessee Valley.

The weather service issued cold weather advisories across the Great Lakes region as high temperatures in many places were expected to rise only into the single digits or teens Monday and Tuesday. Nighttime wind chills could drop temperatures to minus 20 degrees or lower. Chicago’s high Monday was expected to hit only 10 degrees, while Monday night’s low was targeted at minus 5 degrees.

The Milwaukee County medical examiner’s office is investigating the death of an 80-year-old man who was found about 7 a.m. Sunday on a sidewalk in Milwaukee. An initial investigation has determined that the man fell about 2 a.m. Sunday and may have become incapacitated due to the weather. An autopsy was scheduled Tuesday.

Casey writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Julie Walker contributed to this report from New York.