More than 30 million people in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions were under wind advisories early Sunday. In the South, more than 26 million were under a freeze warning as temperatures plummeted.
Record low temperatures are forecast for parts of Florida after the state was hit by treacherous thunderstorms and two tornadoes on Saturday.
Meanwhile, in Maine, a winter weather advisory is in effect for parts of the state until 1 p.m. Sunday.
“Areas of blizzard and drifting snow will reduce visibility to less than a quarter mile at times,” the NWS in Caribou said. “Strong winds could cause damage to trees,” forecasters warned.
The storm dumped at least 8 inches of snow across parts of eastern Kentucky, southeastern Ohio, West Virginia, western Pennsylvania and upstate New York on Saturday.
Severe weather in Florida prompted Governor Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency in Clay, Highlands, Marion and Putnam counties, where a cold front had brought “multiple severe weather hazards” into the northeastern and central parts of the state, said. . Heavy rain, thunderstorms, strong winds and isolated tornadoes caused widespread damage and power outages, the governor added.
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The south is still cold
More than 40 locations across the Southeast are expected to see record low temperatures on Sunday morning, with many record lows forecast in the areas of central and northern Florida that were hardest hit on Saturday, forecasts show.
“This really gives an indication of how powerful the cold front that came through the region was,” said CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam.
A freeze warning is in effect through Sunday morning for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and South Carolina.
“Freeze and frost will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation, and possibly damage unprotected outside pipes,” the weather service said in the warning.
March started off warm in the Southeast, with many places setting record highs in the 70s and 80s as recently as last week. The heat helped many trees, flowers, and crops begin to bloom.
Before the frigid temperatures arrived, the NWS confirmed that two tornadoes touched down in Florida on Saturday.
“My bed is next to my window and it started shaking violently so much I thought it was going to fly off,” Laviolette said.
For a moment, he said he saw a funnel outside his window, and when he came out later, a neighbor said his room had been “ripped off.”
A weaker tornado was confirmed in Fort Myers Beach after a waterspout made landfall, the weather service said. The NWS is doing a survey and has not yet confirmed the intensity of the tornado.
Scott Wirth, chief of district operations at the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department, described the incident to CNN as a “minor event.” Wirth also said no damage was reported and there were no calls to the fire department.
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CNN’s Paradise Afshar, Sara Smart, Gene Norman, Jason Hanna, Derrick Hinds, Derek Van Dam and Taylor Ward contributed to this report.
Cnn
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