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Local Weather Forecast

Arctic Air Adds Ammo

(State College, PA) - An influx of the coldest arctic air of the season will add to the lake-effect snow totals across the Great Lakes and could send snow and sub-freezing temperatures into the Deep South.

The latest in a series of Alberta Clipper systems moving across the Great Lakes into the Northeast Wednesday will bring in bitterly cold air that will not only increase the strength of the lake-effect snow across the lakes, but will also bring snow flurries and record cold temperatures to the Deep South.

Numerous low temperature records fell early this morning. Meridian, Miss. recorded a temperature of 18°, shattering the old record of 23° set in 2000. Several cities across Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas dipped to 20°. The cold air extended west of the Continental Divide. Grand Junction, Col., fell to 7° this morning, eclipsing the previous low of 8° set in 1972.

The Great Lakes snow guns have been cranking out the lake-effect snow to the lee of the lakes. Among the snowfall amounts as of 2 p.m. EST are:
Pulaski, NY - 16.5"

Pierpont, OH - 13.0"

Thompson, OH - 12.3"

Hartsgrove, OH - 11.0"

Robinson Twp., MI - 11.0"

Kalamazoo, MI - 9.8"

Watertown, NY - 9.5"

The Winter Weather Center is advising the arctic wind will blow across the warm waters of the Great Lakes over the next several days. The snow will begin by Wednesday afternoon to the lee of the lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron. By Friday, the heaviest snowfall will shift to the snowbelt areas to the lee of lakes Erie and Ontario.

The frigid air will not be limited to the Northeast. The jet stream will plunge into the southern states, sending temperatures from the Gulf Coast to the Southeast plunging to record or near-record lows.

City	Ave. H/L	Wed.	Thurs.	City	Ave. H/L	Thurs.	Fri.
Lexington, KY	48/32	51/25	30/12	Charlotte, N.C.	57/37	57/23	46/24
Atlanta, GA	57/38	62/36	50/20	Jacksonville, FL	68/46	66/32	53/28
Memphis, TN	55/37	55/30	45/22	Washington, D.C.	51/35	50/27	39/28
Nashville, TN	53/34	54/28	36/20	Raleigh, NC	57/35	56/24	46/26