The South is about to be walloped with extra winter climate, lower than every week after an ice storm ripped by means of the area, closing highways and taking down energy strains and bushes.
The Nationwide Climate Service has issued chilly climate alerts from Texas to Tennessee and Florida, warning that extended publicity to the bitter chilly might result in hypothermia if correct precautions usually are not taken.
A number of dozen folks have died in a number of states on account of the winter storm that stretched throughout the South and japanese U.S. final week, based on The Associated Press. Along with hypothermia, the fatalities occurred on account of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning and accidents involving vehicles, sleds and snowplows.
States are nonetheless working to revive energy and clear the roadways of snow and ice that remained within the wake of the storm.
Right here is what to anticipate within the subsequent spherical of inclement climate.
Southern states bracing for chilly blast whereas 1000’s nonetheless with out energy
Temperatures are anticipated to plunge throughout the South once more as a brand new arctic blast strikes into the area, bringing dangerously chilly situations whereas tens of 1000’s in a number of states stay with out energy.
On Friday evening, temperatures are anticipated to fall into the kids throughout a lot of Tennessee and northern Mississippi, with lows within the 20s from southern Mississippi into Louisiana.
Gusty winds will make the bitter chilly really feel even colder for anybody outdoor, with wind chills close to or a number of levels beneath zero from central Tennessee to northern Mississippi by Saturday morning.
A tree downed by ice rests in a entrance yard simply ft from a home in Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 26, 2026.
Travis Loller/AP
Temperatures on Saturday afternoon will solely attain a excessive of 21 levels in Nashville and 26 levels in Oxford, Mississippi. 1000’s of individuals in each states have been with out electrical energy for almost every week, exacerbating the hazard introduced from the frigid temperatures.
States like Tennessee and Mississippi do not essentially design their infrastructure to face up to ice storms — they’re as a substitute engineered to deal with hurricanes and excessive warmth, extra widespread regional threats, mentioned Sara Eftekharnejad, a professor {of electrical} engineering and pc science in Syracuse College’s School of Engineering and Laptop Science.
On this aerial view, ice accumulates on utility strains on January 26, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Brett Carlsen/Getty Photographs
Restoration after an ice storm is usually more difficult, as a result of when bushes fall, they have a tendency to take down a number of energy strains at one, Eftekharnejad mentioned in an announcement.
“An equal concern is the frigid Arctic blast and the blustery winds,” Marshall Shepherd, director of the Atmospheric Sciences Program on the College of Georgia and former president of the American Meteorological Society, instructed ABC Information.
Heavy snow and blizzard situations are additionally doable for the Southeast this weekend.
Snow will change into widespread Friday evening throughout a lot of japanese Tennessee, southern Virginia, almost all of North Carolina, northern South Carolina and northeastern Georgia,
Residents in Georgia are “excited in regards to the snow,” Shepherd mentioned, however emphasised the general concern for weak populations such because the aged and homeless.
The bitter chilly is anticipated to ease by early subsequent week with highs within the 40s and 50s from Texas to Tennessee on Monday.
Will probably be even milder by Tuesday, with afternoon temperatures within the 50s and 60s in lots of areas. Tuesday’s highs shall be close to 50 levels in Nashville and attain the mid-50s in Oxford, Mississippi.
Nonetheless, it should nonetheless be chilly at evening for those who nonetheless have to deal with no electrical energy. Each Tennessee and Mississippi skilled widespread energy outages on account of the storm.
Freezing temperatures heading towards Florida
The Sunshine State is not going to be spared from the winter climate this time round, the forecast exhibits.
Temperatures remained gentle in Florida final weekend whereas the large ice storm inundated its neighboring states to the north.
The state will face a quick however potent blast of maximum chilly, bringing the coldest temperatures in additional than 15 years to elements of Florida.
Precise air temperatures are forecast to dip into the 20s throughout a lot of the state by Sunday morning, together with Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Orlando, doubtlessly difficult every day document lows in all three cities.
“Freeze situations will seemingly kill crops, different delicate vegetation and probably harm unprotected out of doors plumbing,” the Nationwide Climate Service mentioned.
An iguana which fell from a tree climbs a rock in Miami on January 8, 2010 as an uncommon chilly spell has hit the usually balmy southern state of Florida.
Juan Castro/AFP through Getty Photographs
On Sunday, a low temperature round freezing is feasible in Tampa, with temperatures dipping into the mid-30s throughout southern Florida, together with Miami. Miami might additionally problem a every day document low on Sunday.
If the low temperature in Miami on Sunday morning dips into the higher 30s, that may be the coldest temperature the town has skilled since December 2010. On Dec. 28, 2010, the low temperature in Miami was 39 levels. The present forecast has lows at 36 levels.
The coldest recorded temperature ever recorded in Miami occurred on Feb. 3, 1917, when the temperature dropped to 27 levels. Information return to 1895.
In Orlando, the present low temperature forecast is 24 on Sunday morning. This may very well be the coldest temperature that the town has skilled since Dec. 29, 2010, when the low temperature in Orlando was 24 levels.
The coldest recorded temperature in Orlando occurred on Dec. 28, 1894, when the temperature dropped to 18 levels. Information return to 1892.
How Florida farms, groves are making ready
Florida’s agricultural business is making ready for the freezing temperatures. The state exports crops equivalent to leafy greens, strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers and blueberries to the remainder of the nation through the winter, based on ATTRA, a sustainable agriculture info supply.
Nonetheless, the wind chills shall be even decrease. It’ll doubtlessly really feel like the one digits in North Florida on Sunday morning, the kids within the central peninsula and within the 20s in South Florida.
Farmers have already been reporting frost harm in crops equivalent to snap beans, candy corn, squash and bell peppers. Chilly publicity in southern counties has brought on leaf burn and flower drop, which, relying on the crop stage or period of publicity, may cause diminished yields or full discipline losses.
Florida citrus growers have activated established frost safety practices to guard root techniques and assist average air temperatures round bushes in anticipation of chilly and potential freeze situations, Shannon Shepp, govt director of the Florida Division of Citrus, instructed ABC Information.
Leaders in Florida’s citrus business hope that years of deployed remedies, therapies and replanting efforts to strengthen tree well being will permit the groves to face up to the chilly and freezing temperatures coming their means, Matt Joyner, govt vice chairman and CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual instructed ABC Information.
“As is typical in these conditions, it stays too early to estimate potential impacts, as results will fluctuate based mostly on location, period, and severity of chilly temperatures,” Shepp mentioned.
Florida growers are “skilled” in managing weather-related challenges and have navigated freeze occasions “many occasions earlier than,” Shepp added.
The Nationwide Climate Service warned that robust, gusty winds accompanying the chilly entrance on Saturday might create further hazards and doubtlessly disrupt closing preparations to guard delicate vegetation and pipes.
The NWS suggested folks to make sure that any tarps, blankets or coverings round delicate crops or pipes are correctly secured. Preparations must be accomplished by Saturday morning on the newest to keep away from the strongest winds.
Reptiles may very well be ‘cold-stunned’
Reptiles within the state will seemingly change into cold-stunned on account of the temperatures. Previously, iguanas have been seen falling out of trees, and alligators appeared immobile in frozen waterways.
At ZooMiami, keepers are most involved about its reptile residents, Ron Magill, ZooMiami’s communications director, instructed ABC Information.
The entire zoo’s large land tortoises and lizards which have entry to the outside shall be secured indoors in a heated construction, whereas the crocodilians could have entry to continually flowing water, Magill mentioned. Smaller, extra delicate mammals, like sloths, porcupines shall be introduced indoors and stored in a heated construction as properly.
The primates, just like the chimpanzees our orangutans, are given blankets that they wrap themselves up in, Magill mentioned.
The animals are additionally given extra meals, because it takes extra energy to combat the chilly, Magill mentioned.
At Jungle Island, an eco-adventure park on Miami’s Watson Island, many of the animals come from tropical or sub-tropical climates, and due to this fact are introduced inside as properly, Jon Joyce, the animal care curator at Jungle Island, mentioned in an announcement.
Some animals, just like the tigers, bask within the below-normal temperatures, and change into extra lively and playful, Magill mentioned.
“It is one thing that invigorates them,” he mentioned.
