The jet stream has dipped once again, this time over the eastern half of the country. As a result, arctic air is plunging into the upper Midwest, producing lake-effect snows on the lee side of the Great Lakes. While the core of this frigid air will remain near the Lakes, the front will drop far to the south, bringing a hard freeze to the northern Gulf Coast. In fact, this will be the coldest air to reach the Southeast in three years.
On the positive side, a high-pressure ridge will quickly build in from the west, the polar air will be shoved off to the northeast and daytime temperatures should soon return to normal. Also, since the air is dry and no potent storms are developing along the front, heavy snow will be limited to the Great Lakes region. In mid Missouri, we'll have sunny skies with a high near 20.
