Winter Storm Update as Surge of Arctic Air To Spread Across U.S. This Week

Forecasters are warning of dangerously cold conditions for much of the nation as an arctic air mass is expected to spread across the southern United States this week.

The incoming arctic front will surge from Canada towards the Gulf coast during the week, bringing with it extremely cold temperatures and wind chills, according to the National Weather Service's (NWS) Weather Prediction Center.

The U.S. will continue to deal with the arctic air through Christmas Day, the NWS said in a special weather statement on Sunday.

"Now is the time to start taking measures to protect your family, pets, friends, property, and yourself from the likelihood of extreme and prolonged freezing conditions for southern Mississippi and southeast Louisiana," the statement said.

Temperatures will plummet "20 to 30 degrees or more in only a few hours" in southwestern Mississippi on Thursday night, according to the NWS.

"Not only will the temperatures plunge but this will be accompanied by very strong wind and by sunrise Friday morning there is a high chance that many areas will experience wind chill readings (apparent temperatures) in the lower teens and single digits," it said.

"This has no impact on pipes but for people and pets the rapidly moving air speeds up the heat loss over our bodies and can quickly lead to hypothermia."

Meanwhile, frigid temperatures are expected to settle over much of Texas over the Christmas period.

Temperatures will drop "well below freezing" on Thursday and stay that way for at least a couple of days, the NWS office in Fort Worth, Texas, tweeted on Sunday.

The NWS has said the incoming arctic air mass "appears to be more potent" than one that hit in 2021, and Newsweek reported on Friday that Houston may be hit with some of the coldest holiday temperatures since 1983.

That has prompted fears that Texas' power grid could once again buckle under the stress. At least 240 Texans died after millions of homes and businesses lost power for days during the February 2021 winter storm.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the state's grid, has said it is continuing to closely monitor weather forecasts and models and "expects sufficient generation to meet forecasted demand."

In a statement on Friday, ERCOT said it has worked closely with the Public Utility Commission and elected officials for the past 18 months to "implement reforms and increase grid reliability, including weatherization, bringing more generation online sooner if needed, and purchasing more reserve power. As a result, the reliability and resiliency of the grid has been strengthened significantly."

Pablo Vegas, ERCOT president and CEO, said: "Providing Texans with a reliable electric grid is our highest priority. As we monitor weather conditions, we want to assure Texans that the grid is resilient and reliable. We will keep the public informed as weather conditions change throughout the coming week."