Arctic weather to loosen grip on much of US

Record-breaking temperatures will soon ease up on the East Coast as arctic air ceases to push down from Canada, the National Weather Service (NWS) said Monday.

The easing of strong weather comes after subzero temperatures gripped much of the country, resulting in dozens of deaths, according to The Associated Press.

“With no additional replenishment of arctic air from Canada, a steady warm-up is expected to spread across the country from west to east through the next couple of days,” the NWS said in a statement.

“Today will be the final day of the deep freeze over the East Coast where temperatures will start out in the teens but they will quickly rebound to near normal levels on Tuesday,” the statement continued.

Monday will still feel the remnants of the arctic air, “as an expansive arctic high-pressure system slides eastward across the eastern U.S. today,” the NWS said, adding it leaves behind a “channel of moisture” from the Gulf of Mexico into the southern Plains.  

Southern Texas will see heavy rain Monday, and arctic air still extends through portions of Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Missouri. This “channel of moisture” will then sweep upward to the northeast, which will bring periods of freezing rain and sleet across the Midwest, reaching the lower Great Lakes by Monday night.

The lower Great Lakes and some of New England can expect to see some accumulating snowfall Tuesday.