This blog post summarizes a striking early-winter weather outbreak that gripped the eastern United States and a concurrent tropical event in East Asia.
It covers record low temperatures across the Deep South, significant lake-effect snowfall and even thundersnow in the Midwest, and the heavy rains and flooding tied to Typhoon Fung-wong in eastern Taiwan.
As a meteorologist with three decades of experience, I’ll put these events into context and explain the physical processes behind them.
Early-season cold snap: records and scope
In mid-November an unusually strong cold air mass plunged into the eastern U.S., producing widespread daily low-temperature records.
According to observations, about 80 weather stations across the Deep South tied or broke their minimum temperature records on 11 November.
The depth of the outbreak is highlighted by Jacksonville, Florida, which fell to -3°C — roughly 17°C below seasonal average for that location.
Such early-season intrusions can be surprising to the public because they arrive while many areas are still climatologically mild.
The event reflects a potent combination of a strong upper-level trough and advection of Arctic-origin air, which together undercut the normal late-fall temperature gradient and allowed frigid surface readings far south of their usual positions.
Why these records matter
Record low readings this early in the season are not merely trivia — they have practical impacts on agriculture, energy demand, and public safety.
Sudden temperature drops can stress unprepared infrastructure and crops, and they often trigger spikes in heating use that challenge local power systems.
Sequences of extreme events also provide useful case studies for understanding atmospheric dynamics and potential links to larger-scale variability.
Lake-effect snow and convective snow bands
Behind the cold front, the Great Lakes region experienced classic winter phenomena driven by strong cold-air advection over relatively warm lake surfaces.
The southern and western shores of Lake Michigan saw intense lake-effect snow where the temperature contrast generated vigorous convection and long, narrow snow bands.
These bands produced heavy accumulations in localized corridors.
Northern Indiana was hardest hit, with Cedar Lake recording 31 cm of snow, while nearby Chicago accumulated about 5–7 cm.
Some locations reported thundersnow, a dramatic sign that convective energy within the snow bands was strong enough to produce lightning — an event that combines dynamics more typical of summertime storms with winter precipitation.
Mechanics of lake-effect and thundersnow
Lake-effect snow develops when very cold, dry air flows over warmer lake waters.
The lower atmosphere becomes destabilized, moisture is picked up from the lake, and narrow convective bands form downwind.
When instability and lift are sufficiently intense, snowfall rates can be heavy and thunder may accompany the snow — hence thundersnow.
The result is highly variable snowfall, with intense accumulations in some communities and minimal impacts a short distance away.
Typhoon Fung-wong: heavy rain and flooding in Taiwan
While the eastern U.S. contended with arctic air, Typhoon Fung-wong affected eastern Taiwan, bringing record rainfall and serious flooding.
The storm forced thousands of residents to evacuate before it weakened and dissipated later in the week.
This juxtaposition of extremes — a polar outbreak in North America and a tropical cyclone in Asia — underscores the global reach and timing differences of the planet’s weather systems.
Impacts and takeaways
Key impacts from these back-to-back events include:
Here is the source article for this story: Weather tracker: US hit by exceptional early winter cold spell