Much of the country saw a severe drop in temperatures, which will usher in a major winter storm come Monday. According to Buzz Bernard, senior meteorologist at The Weather Channel, the Arctic air is unique in its sturdiness.
Arctic air is colder, drier, and heavier, and it pretty much goes where it wants to go.
According to Bernard, Sunday's temperatures were 40 degrees lower than Saturdaysin some places, and some states, like Montana, endured temperatures 30 degrees below average on Sunday. But Monday's winter storm is what sets Arctic air apart from other air systems, explains Kocin. When we get outbreaks of Arctic cold like this, it's often a trigger for winter storms. Bernard forecasts the storm to cut a cold weather swath from Texas to the Great Lakes on Monday. Big cities like Chicago and Detroit will feel the freeze as well, as a snow band moves across northeastern Missouri, northern Illinois, and southern Michigan on Monday.