A major Arctic blast is set to send temperatures plunging across the central, eastern and even southern United States, with more than 100 million Americans expected to experience the icy chill this weekend and into early next week.

The powerful cold front, originating in Canada, is forecast to bring a dramatic temperature drop, widespread frost and freezes, and the first significant snowfall of the season for many. The cold is expected to be so intense that it could shatter records dating back to the 1800s in some areas, according to one report.

“The U.S. is skipping fall and going right to winter on the 10th of November,” meteorologist Ryan Maue wrote in a post on X.

The cold outbreak is being driven by a strong upper-level low dipping southward, allowing frigid polar air to surge across the country. In some regions, temperatures are forecast to plummet 20 to 30 degrees below average.

The season’s first outbreak of freezing Arctic air will, for a time, register as the most unusually cold mass of air on the planet, according to the Washington Post. By Monday, parts of the Southeast are expected to be as cold as Greenland.

“On Tuesday morning, parts of the Southeast U.S. will be about as cold as Nuuk, Greenland — near the edge of the Arctic Circle,” meteorologist Ben Noll wrote on X. “It will be warmer in St. John’s, Newfoundland, than in parts of northern Florida.” 

By Wednesday, the freeze is expected to impact 155 million people, with forecasters warning residents to protect outdoor plumbing, un-winterized irrigation systems, and sensitive plants. The cold will also bring a definitive end to the growing season for areas that have not yet had a hard freeze.

The Midwest will be one of the first regions to feel the effects of the Arctic air. Daytime temperatures are forecast to drop into the 30s and 40s across the Northern Plains and Midwest. Blustery winds will make it feel even colder, with wind chills potentially dropping into the single digits on Sunday morning in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and the Dakotas.

Chicago forecasters warned of an “early taste of winter” that could create travel hazards. “Periods of lake effect snow may lead to localized accumulations and slippery travel on untreated roadways Sunday and Monday near southern Lake Michigan,” the National Weather Service’s Chicago office said on social media.

In Michigan, residents could see the “first measurable snow of the winter season,” with areas around Mount Pleasant likely to see an inch or more. Multiple cities in Ohio are also projected to see light snow showers into Monday.

“Start preparing for a few wintry days early next week, with lows below 25F, wind chills as low as 10-15F on consecutive nights, highs Monday only in the mid-30s, and wind-driven snow flurries likely the rule late Sunday into Monday,” the National Weather Service in Indianapolis wrote on X.

While the most frigid temperatures will be in the northern states, the Southeast will also feel the air’s icy effects, with temperatures potentially dropping 15 to 25 degrees below the historical average by Monday.

In Atlanta, the high on Monday is forecast to be in the mid-40s, more than 20 degrees below average. The cold could challenge records from the 1800s and early 1900s in cities like Huntsville, Alabama, and Savannah, Georgia.

The Northeast will feel the bitter effects of the wintry weather, but not until early next week.

Forecasters in Mount Holly, New Jersey, noted that the area saw its coldest morning of the season on Friday. Colder air is expected to arrive early next week following a period of showers. The Washington, D.C., metro area was also under a frost advisory but is expecting a milder weekend before the chill sets in.

Lake-effect snow is also a possibility in parts of the Northeast from Monday to Wednesday, with locally heavy snow bands possible in parts of Pennsylvania and New York.