The unseasonably cold conditions threaten crops, home infrastructure, and travel plans, prompting officials to issue guidance to help farmers and residents protect sensitive systems ahead of winter’s heavy onset.
Freeze warning in US
The freeze warning is in effect from midnight to 2 a.m. Thursday for portions of Iowa, Illinois, and Nebraska. In central, north-central, southwest, and west-central Iowa, temperatures are expected to fall between 26 and 32 degrees, with widespread frost likely, according to the NWS.
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Parts of northwest Illinois and east-central and northeast Iowa could see lows around 28 degrees. In Iowa’s Harrison, Shelby, and Monona counties, temperatures may drop to 26 degrees. Nebraska counties including Burt, Cedar, Cuming, Stanton, Thurston, and Wayne are also expected to reach lows of 26 degrees, while east-central and northeast Nebraska could hit 28 degrees. The warnings are set to expire by 9 a.m. Thursday local time.
Further east, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio are under frost advisories as the cold front pushes into the mid-Atlantic region. Officials are urging residents in affected areas to insulate pipes, cover sensitive plants, and monitor local forecasts for updates. Additional cold fronts and storms could bring rapidly changing weather conditions in the coming days.
On social media, the NWS shared precautionary reminders: Residents in the affected zones are urged by the NWS to insulate pipes, cover sensitive plants and monitor local forecasts for updates. Americans should also prepare for rapidly shifting weather patterns as additional cold fronts and associated storms could trigger sudden hazards.ALSO READ: Manhattan-sized interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS emits mysterious metal alloy never seen on Earth, claims Harvard scientist
NWS Des Moines: “Clear skies and light winds have resulted in temperatures trending lower tonight. Lows will be near to below freezing for much of the state. Cover sensitive plants that you’d like to save! #iawx”
NWS Omaha: “Bring in those begonia pots, if you haven’t already! Temperatures will drop into the upper 20s and lower 30s across much of the area tonight.”