Summary (tl;dr)

Multiple regions across the southern and central United States are under freeze warnings as a powerful cold front brings sub-freezing temperatures, threatening sensitive vegetation and outdoor plumbing.

Essential Background

A freeze warning is issued by the National Weather Service, typically during the spring growing season, when widespread freezing temperatures are expected. These warnings are crucial because temperatures falling below 32°F (0°C) can severely damage or kill new plants, crops, and unprotected outdoor plumbing.

The Full Story

Following a period of severe thunderstorms and strong winds, a significant cold front has swept across parts of the U.S., leading to a rapid and dramatic drop in temperatures and prompting numerous freeze warnings. In Georgia, freeze warnings are in effect from Monday evening through Tuesday morning, with some areas expecting lows as cold as 20°F. Similarly, North Texas counties are under a freeze warning from early Monday morning, with windy conditions making temperatures feel even colder, in the 20s and teens. Arkansas is also experiencing a hard freeze, with temperatures plummeting overnight Sunday into Monday morning, and wind chill values expected to reach the mid-teens. These warnings are issued as spring's warmer weather gives way to a late-season cold snap.

Why It Matters

The issuance of freeze warnings is significant due to the potential for substantial damage to agriculture and property. Farmers and gardeners are urged to take immediate steps to protect tender plants and crops, which could otherwise be killed by the sub-freezing conditions. Homeowners are also advised to protect outdoor plumbing to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting, leading to costly repairs. The unexpected cold snap in the midst of what might have been an early spring for some regions highlights the unpredictable nature of transitional seasons and the need for vigilance against weather extremes.

Geographic Location

• Banks County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Barrow County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Bartow County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Bibb County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Bleckley County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Butts County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Carroll County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Catoosa County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Chattahoochee County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Chattooga County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Cherokee County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Clarke County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Clayton County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Cobb County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Cooke County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Coweta County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Crawford County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Crisp County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Dade County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Dawson County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• DeKalb County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Delta County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Denton County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Dodge County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Dooly County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Douglas County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Eastland County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Emanuel County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Erath County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Fannin County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Fannin County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Fayette County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Floyd County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Forsyth County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Fulton County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Gilmer County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Glascock County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Gordon County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Grayson County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Greene County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Hall County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Hancock County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Haralson County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Harris County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Heard County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Henry County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Hopkins County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Houston County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Hunt County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Jack County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Jackson County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Jasper County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Jefferson County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Johnson County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Jones County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Lamar County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Lamar County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Laurens County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Macon County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Madison County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Marion County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Meriwether County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Monroe County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Montague County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Montgomery County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Morgan County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Murray County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Muscogee County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Newton County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Oconee County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Oglethorpe County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Palo Pinto County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Parker County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Paulding County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Peach County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Pickens County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Pike County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Polk County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Pulaski County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Putnam County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Rains County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Randolph County, Alabama, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Rockdale County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Schley County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Spalding County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Stephens County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Stewart County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Talbot County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Taliaferro County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Taylor County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Telfair County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Toombs County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Towns County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Treutlen County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Troup County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Twiggs County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Union County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Upson County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Walker County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Walton County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Warren County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Washington County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Webster County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Wheeler County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• White County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Whitfield County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Wilcox County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Wilkes County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Wilkinson County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Wise County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Young County, Texas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• White River Now region, Arkansas, United States (under Freeze Warning)
• Hill Country, Texas, United States (potential light freeze)
• I-35 corridor (rural and low-lying locations), Texas, United States (potential light freeze)
• Coastal Plains, Texas, United States (potential light freeze)
• Austin, Travis County, Texas, United States (potential light freeze)
• San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, United States (potential light freeze)
• Monroe, Walton County, Georgia, United States (under Freeze Warning)