Coast-to-coast low temperatures and an atmospheric river in the Pacific affect the United States

(CNN) — After a cold front moved through the eastern United States on Monday, another wave of cold air swept across the country on Wednesday.

Temperatures are expected to drop near or below freezing this Wednesday morning from the Southern Plains eastward into the lower Mississippi and Tennessee valleys and into the Appalachians.

The daily low temperature at Dallas Love Field was 1.1 degrees Celsius on November 1, a record set in 2019, and could drop to -0.5 degrees Celsius in the coming hours, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). . St. Louis could drop to -3.3 degrees Celsius this Wednesday morning, tying its lowest temperature for November 1, set in 1954, according to NOAA. High temperatures this Wednesday will be below average, with highs ranging from 4.4 to 10 degrees Celsius across the central and eastern United States.

This Thursday, cold air will move eastward across the country, including the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. 60 daily records for minimum temperatures could be tied or broken this Wednesday and Thursday morning. High temperatures will begin to recover this Thursday, and will return to above average over the weekend.

The atmospheric river reaches the Pacific Northwest

Meanwhile, a Category 5 hurricane will begin affecting the Pacific Northwest this Wednesday. According to the Weather Prediction Center (WPC), a Level 1 of 5, Excessive Precipitation Warning has been issued for western Washington state and western Oregon for two days this Wednesday and Thursday.

Rainfall rates are 254 mm per hour and total rainfall can approach 400 mm.

An atmospheric river is a vortex of moistured It helps transport saturated air from the tropics to higher latitudes, causing intermittent rain or snow.

It is like a fire hose that points at a specific area and soaks it.

Atmospheric rivers, typically 400 to 600 kilometers wide, can be more than 1,600 kilometers long, according to NOAA.

“After a brief pause Thursday night, the next frontal and atmospheric system is expected to arrive later this Friday. Recent indications are that precipitation will not be intense in this second system, but predicted amounts are highly uncertain,” the National Weather Service (NWS) warns.

“Western Oregon and Washington are under severe drought (level 2 out of 4) with isolated pockets of severe drought (level 3 out of 4), so this rain could be useful in bringing some much-needed relief to the region.”