Okay, so basically, the U.S. just got hit with a crazy cold snap.
Like, a huge chunk of the country – we’re talking Alabama, Florida, Georgia and around the Great Lakes – was under freeze warnings. They’re saying at least 18 million people were affected. Snow even covered some areas.
Jacksonville, Florida, even shattered a record low temperature. Can you believe it? It got down to 28 degrees! The old record was from way back in ’77.
This Arctic air came blasting in from the Northern Plains. It’s wild because the Southeast was enjoying 70s and 80s weather just days before! They will get a bit of a warmup later in the week, apparently.
And get this: Florida had a “falling iguana advisory.” Seriously! When it gets below 40 degrees, iguanas basically freeze up and fall out of trees. Apparently their systems just shut down because they aren’t used to that kind of cold. People were posting pictures of these stunned iguanas all over social media.
So yeah, theme park visitors in Orlando were probably regretting their trip as they had to bundle up! Even Miami saw temps in the 40s in the morning.
West Virginia saw accidents because of the ice and snow. But hey, at least one ski center in the mountains opened up.
Up north around the Great Lakes, the lake effect snow was intense. Some places got almost 8 inches of snow, and it was super windy. One woman in Michigan joked they’d end up with a slushy mess soon enough.
New York cities downwind of the Great Lakes are dealing with a lot of snow as well. They’re used to it, though – usually get around 100 inches each winter.
Now, on the other side of the country, California’s bracing for an atmospheric river. Heavy rain and mountain snow are on the way. They’re predicting over a foot of snow in the Sierra Nevada.
The forecasters are saying millions of people are at risk for excessive rain, especially on Thursday. It sounds like areas that were burned by wildfires are particularly vulnerable to mudslides and stuff. So, pretty much coast to coast, the weather’s being a bit extreme.
