The storm barrelling across the heart of the United States right now is producing about as wild of as you’ll ever get at this time of year with mid-winter arctic air trailing behind a potent frontal system while summer-like air spreads out ahead. The system is drawing copious amounts of Gulf moisture and as this swings into the cold air, a major snowstorm/blizzard and even ice storm is breaking out. Not forgetting the severe weather and tornado threat in the Southern Plains.

Firstly, check out these 24 hour temperature differences.

Lots of 55-60 degree drops within 24 hours now showing up. Amazing!

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Here are current temperatures.

Before I headed to bed for a few hours I picked up on a few state contrasts. Check this out.

In Kansas, while it was 76 degrees in Coffeyville in the southeast it was only 17 with a wind chill of -1 up in Goodland with snow falling.

In Oklahoma it was 28 degrees in the far west town of Guymon while McAlester in the southeast was a balmy 83.

Down in Texas, while Amarillo was 37 degrees, just 124 miles to the south in Lubbock it was 80 degrees and further south, Laredo was a toasty 92.

As for Denver, they reached a very comfortable, spring-like 72 degrees Monday but within 12-14 hours, they crashed nearly 60 degrees, eventually bottoming out at 14 degrees with a subzero wind chill mid Tuesday morning.

Here’s a great graphic by Weather Nation.

Here’s the current temperatures.

Closer look at the division in air masses, wow!

As of this writing, there’s an incredible 76-degree temperature spread over Texas with the panhandle town of Dalhart currently at 30 degrees while down near the Mexico border, it’s 106 degrees at Laredo.

As for heavy snow, well it’s been falling throughout the course of last night and through today and for the northwestern high plains, it shall continue to fall and blow around tonight. The snow tapers off over Denver, eastern Colorado and western Kansas and Nebraska tonight and under clearing skies and lighter winds, the temperature is going to get close, if not exceed 0 degrees in some areas. That is very impressive for this late in the year.

This is in stark contrast to points further east where highs WIDELY rose into the 80s with records falling all the way to Connecticut today.

Check out these 850mb temps as we head into tonight.

Really from where cold the air masses meet over the central Plains to East Coast, temperatures are very balmy at the 5,000ft level and after 80s by day, it will hold in the 60s in most major cities tonight, 40s and 50s in rural areas.

Tomorrow will be even warmer in parts of the East with 90 degrees, would you believe.. possible in the DC-Baltimore area, maybe extending up into Philadelphia but there’s also a risk of storms which could turn severe anywhere from DC up to NYC thanks to the presence of a warm front.

Here’s the GFS snow forecast for the next 24 hours.

So, while 1-2ft may fall when all is said and done over parts of South Dakota, even Minneapolis-St Paul may see upwards of a foot from this and this could be a history maker for the area.

As for severe weather. There’s a heightened risk through tonight across the Southern Plains and here’s the graphic via weather.com.

Rest of today

Tomorrow

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