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A sharp blast of Arctic air is poised to sweep across the U.S. later this week, ending an extended stretch of unseasonably warm weather and sending temperatures tumbling by as much as 40 degrees in some areas.
Meteorologists say the warm spell—marked by highs resembling April and May across much of the eastern half of the country—will be abruptly replaced by a powerful cold front now pushing into the region. The Midwest is expected to experience the most dramatic temperature swings, particularly Indianapolis, AccuWeather meteorologist Peyton Simmers told Newsweek, with daytime highs set to surge into the 70s on Tuesday now forecast to drop below freezing once the Arctic air arrives.
The cold front will arrive Thursday morning. States like Iowa, Missouri and Pennsylvania will also be affected.
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"A lot of the northern half of the Midwest and into the Northeast will experience some of those fluctuations," Simmers said.
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Parts of the Southeast also could be affected. The shots of cold air are expected to recur throughout the second half of the month, Simmers said.
"It won't come in and just sit for a month. We are watching another storm track to the north which could bring areas back into the 70s by late this weekend, early next week, then another cold shot will come down," he said. "It's going to be one of those roller-coaster rides through the second half of the month."
The upcoming plunge follows several days of record‑challenging warmth from the Ohio Valley to the Great Lakes, a stretch that made parts of the region feel more like early spring than early March. According to AccuWeather, dozens of locations recently flirted with or broke temperature records for daytime highs and overnight lows. Those anomalously warm readings are expected to be swept away quickly as a strong storm system ushers in a firmer wintry pattern across the central and eastern United States.
Forecasters say the incoming cold front will also bring the potential for hazardous travel, especially overnight and during early‑morning hours when surfaces cool enough for snow or ice to accumulate. While the strength of the March sun may limit daytime roadway impacts, the return of Arctic air marks a significant reversal from the springlike conditions residents have enjoyed in recent weeks.
As the front pushes across the region, temperatures across the Midwest and beyond are expected to settle firmly back into a wintry pattern—an abrupt reminder that despite recent warmth, winter is not quite finished.
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