Record-Breaking Low Temperatures Expected in U.S. this Week

It’s only mid-November, and yet roughly 70 percent of the U.S. is expected to experience freezing temperatures this week as an Arctic blast sweeps into the country. Cities in Wisconsin have already reported record-breaking lows, with Oshkosh reaching 23 degrees and Rhinelander hitting 17 degrees Fahrenheit Monday night. In the northeast, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington that started with rain in the morning will end the day with snow. The cold air is moving south where states like Georgia will see dramatic temperature drops within the span of hours from the mid-50s to near freezing. Even parts of Florida have been issued frost and freeze warnings. As a result, as many as 300 records across the country could be broken with temperatures more typical for January than November. Read more at CNN.

In January, WaterISAC reported on the infrastructure impacts of an extreme cold weather system that had affected much of the Midwest. The conditions resulted in water service interruptions, electricity outages, and transportation delays and cancelations, among other infrastructure impacts. Although the cold weather currently being experienced and predicted is not as severe as that from January, there is the potential for it to have adverse impacts on infrastructure, especially if it catches operators by surprise.