A triple threat of winter storms was raging into the country's center on Sunday, promising travel headaches for the rest of the week as the Upper Midwest hunkered down in bitter cold and wind chills that might reach minus 50 degrees.
From Sunday through Thursday, at least three storms will be responsible for the ice and snow threat, according to AccuWeather.
Storms will be fuelled by precipitation from the Gulf of Mexico and cooler air from the south.
AccuWeather predicts that precipitation will be practically persistent in certain places for many days.
"Cold air will descend far enough south to create a weather combat zone for much of the week," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski predicted.
Cold temperatures and thick snow this week
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He expressed particular concern about a glaze of ice that might create hazardous travel conditions from eastern Oklahoma through northern Arkansas and southern Missouri, as per USA Today.
It's just unreasonably chilly in some places.
The National Weather Service office in Pocatello, Idaho, predicted that highs in certain places will struggle to rise above -10°F on Sunday.
Temperatures across the Great Plains, Upper Midwest, and Intermountain West are predicted to be 20 to 40 degrees below average on Sunday and Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
Sunday and Monday could see snowfall as far east as New York state.
In Arkansas, the Ozarks have received up to 16 inches of snow in recent days.
Temperatures in several regions fell below zero due to a cold front that moved over the Plains and Midwest.
Wind chills were far below zero in numerous sections of Colorado on Sunday, with some reaching -20°F.
The National Weather Service office in Cheyenne, Wyoming, predicted that most sections of the state will be in the single digits or colder on Sunday, with temperatures dropping below zero Sunday night.
The Dallas-Fort Worth weather service warned of freezing rain this week.
Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms were likely throughout sections of East Texas and the Gulf Coast states, the weather agency said.
In Texas, hail may fall as a result of thunderstorms, as well as locally destructive winds and "maybe a tornado or two."
Accuweather predicted that after more than a week of drying out from a spate of atmospheric rivers that soaked most of the state in late December and the first half of January, areas of California may experience the effects of a new storm Sunday evening and into Monday.
Instead of the massive volumes of rain and snow poured by past storms, the upcoming one will bring strong winds to Northern California before traveling southeast and bringing precipitation with it.
Snow levels may fall below 3,000 feet in certain areas, creating perilous driving conditions in mountain routes such as the Grapevine north of Los Angeles.
Thunderstorms are also probable in Southern California.
According to Summer Clay, a Physician's Assistant at Sparrow Health System, typical colds are caused by viruses, notably the rhinovirus, rather than the weather.
"You cannot become sick just by walking out in cold weather," Clay explained.
The symptoms of the common cold are named after how our bodies react to chilly temperatures.
Clay went on to say that most of us had already experienced it.
"We walk out to shovel, and we take a long intake of fresh cool air, and then we cough," Clay continued, as per FOX 56.
That is simply the spasmatic reaction of our lungs. Any nasal congestion or runny nose you feel when out and about might be ascribed to a normal body reaction.
Clay linked the rise in infections seen throughout the winter months to how people react to cold temperatures.
Persons in these small, tight settings are not necessarily well-ventilated, and they will be near people who are more easily transferring these infections.
Viruses may be kept in colder temperatures, according to research. Furthermore, chilly, drier air has been shown to somewhat impair our capacity to fight viruses, so it's still a good idea to cover up before venturing out in the cold.
