US: Cold temperatures rush into East, shock parts of South

The coldest air since April will blast into the Eastern states and will shock parts of the South this weekend.

In many areas, the cold air will be pushed along and enhanced by gusty winds.

The winds will be generated by a winterlike storm swinging off the mid-Atlantic coast and possibly taking a curved path back toward New England.

Gusts ranging between 35 and 50 mph will sweep from the southern Appalachians to the Carolina, Georgia and northeastern Florida coasts, initially. Next, the swath of strong winds will roll across the mid-Atlantic and New England later this weekend.

The combination of plunging temperatures, winds and other conditions will produce shockingly low AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures. Levels will dip into the teens over the Appalachians and New England to the 20s over the interior South and along the mid-Atlantic coasts and to the lower 30s in part of Florida.

College football fans heading to afternoon and evening games from the South to the Midwest and Northeast will want to dress warmly and wear layered clothing.

A hard freeze will visit areas from the Ohio Valley to the Appalachians this weekend. Freezing temperatures will touch areas from northern Texas to parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas and Virginia.

Although far from a freeze, record low temperatures will be challenged in South Florida and the Keys Sunday morning.

The worst of the wind and cold will ease in the South and parts of the Midwest by Sunday afternoon for NFL games. However, winds will continue howling in much of the Northeast.

Runners and spectators partaking in the New York Marathon on Sunday should be prepared for RealFeel Temperatures in the 20s at times and strong, gusty winds being funneled through buildings and across bridges.

Parts of New England on Sunday will not only have wind and cold to contend with, but also the potential for heavy snow.