Cold air was pouring in across the Midwest Friday morning, will reach the Appalachians Friday afternoon and will sweep to the Atlantic coast Friday night.
In the wake of a strong cold front, temperatures have been slashed by 25 to 35 degrees over the Upper Midwest.
While the magnitude of the temperature change will be somewhat less extreme as the front progresses eastward, temperatures will be slashed by 20 to 25 degrees over the Ohio Valley and 15 to 20 degrees along the Atlantic Seaboard Saturday and Sunday, when compared to highs during the latter part of this week.
Much cooler air will continue to push across the South, reaching south Texas and much of central Florida. Temperatures will be shaved by 10 to 20 degrees in most areas.
The impact of the front will only diminish over South Florida.
The flow of cold air over relatively warm water will cause lake-effect snow, flurries and squalls to spread from northwest to southeast, down wind of the Great Lakes. A couple of snow squalls can reach as far as the central Appalachians with a flurry possible in some of the northern and western suburbs of Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City on Saturday.
While everyone may not be a fan of the chilly, blustery weather, the pattern will stir the atmospheric conditions that have helped to produce locally dense fog during recent mornings.
Dense fog caused hundreds of flights to be canceled Wednesday around Chicago, contributed to vehicle accidents near Houston and caused delays around Detroit on Thanksgiving and then visited part of the I-95 Northeast on Black Friday.
Chicago experienced temperatures in the 60s Thanksgiving afternoon. During the midday hours Friday actual temperatures were hovering in the 30s. AccuWeather.com RealFeel® temperatures were near 10 degrees.
In St. Louis, temperatures peaked near 70 Thanksgiving afternoon, but were hovering in the middle 40s at midday Friday with RealFeel temperatures near the freezing mark.
Temperatures peaked near 80 degrees Wednesday and Thanksgiving Day at Dallas, but Friday morning RealFeel temperatures were hovering in the 50s.