Meteorologist Samantha Davies

Wow, where do I begin… one cold front sweeping through the country is causing several weather headaches! Here is a look at the power of this week’s cold front:

First the cold air- Artic air has been in place for the upper Midwest for the past few days, but now the Midwest, Ohio Valley, and interior sections of the Northeast are feeling the chill. In the past 24 hours Chicago has seen a 45-degree temperature drop, and Dallas saw a temperature drop of 34 degrees! Bismarck will see highs below zero today, while Minneapolis will see a high of 2! Wind chill warnings are still in effect for these areas, with the “feels like” temperature as much as 40 below zero.

The cold air has made it to the Northeast, although it isn’t as frigid. Pittsburgh and Buffalo will se highs in the 20s. On the flip side costal areas will stay relatively mild. Boston and New York City will see highs in the mid to upper 40s.

Next story, the severe weather- Parts of the Midwest and Ohio Valley saw damaging wind gusts, Tornadoes, and hail. There were several damage reports of trees and power lines downed, mobile homes destroyed, 2 fatalities, and some injuries. Parts of Indiana saw hurricane force wind gusts. Today it will stay windy for much of the Nation. Cities such as Boston, New York, Atlanta, and Dallas/ Fort Worth will see high winds gusting up to 50 mph.

Texas Fire Danger continues- On Tuesday strong winds caused grass fires, flight delays and power outages, mostly in North Texas. Several fires broke out yesterday and conditions remain favorable for that to happen again today. Wednesday, Red Flag warnings remain in effect for much of Texas and Oklahoma, meaning that the combination of high winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation pose the threat for potential fires. Humidity will be less than 25%, and the winds will gust near 35 mph.

Click on the video link below for a closer look at what this week cold front has caused.

Click the image to view the video.