Florida Citrus at Risk as Arctic Blast, Snow Hit Southeastern US

A resident clears snow surrounding a vehicle in Somerville, Massachusetts, US, on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. US power grids are expected to grapple with unprecedented seasonal demand and the threat of blackouts after a damaging winter storm coated parts of the South and Mid-Atlantic in ice -- leaving brutal cold in its wake. Photo by Mel Musto /Photographer: Mel Musto/Bloomber

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(Bloomberg) — A powerful Atlantic storm is bearing down on the Southeastern US just as another blast of Arctic air surges south, threatening to smash temperature records and putting Florida’s citrus belt at risk of a damaging freeze.

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Central Florida’s citrus-growing region could see single-digit wind chills beginning late Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Orlando and Gainesville will be on freeze alerts, a rarity for an area accustomed to mild winters.

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Most of Polk County in Central Florida, the state’s biggest citrus producing county, is within the zone expected to face below-freezing temperatures. That county in the prior season produced nearly 30% of Florida’s total orange output in terms of boxes, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

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Further north, heavy snow is expected to arrive in the Carolinas by Saturday morning, with up to eight inches (20 centimeters) in some areas and the potential for blizzard conditions as winds gust in the hardest-hit areas.

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The storm will strike a region still digging out from last week’s sprawling storm, which coated much of the eastern and central US in snow and ice. In the Carolinas, state officials are preparing snowplows and urging drivers to stay off the roads, as temperatures drop low enough to turn melted slush back to ice. 

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“There’s just something about sequels,” North Carolina’s transportation department said in an X post Friday, adding that crews have “shifted back into prep mode” after days of storm cleanup.

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The heavy snow in the forecast is less likely to cause power outages than last weekend’s burst of freezing rain and ice. But more than 230,000 homes and businesses — mostly in Tennessee and Mississippi — were still without power as of 11 a.m. New York time Friday.

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“Some of the worst stuff is coming up this weekend, for people in the South that don’t have electricity — and obviously with that, the ability for heat,” said Bob Oravec, a senior branch forecaster for the US Weather Prediction Center in Maryland.

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Already-frigid temperatures in the eastern half of the country will continue to slide as more icy air barrels down from the pole. While major East Coast cities — including Washington, Boston and New York — may see little more than a dusting this weekend, gusting winds will drive wind chills well below 0F (-18C).

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New York City has just wrapped one of its coldest weeks on record, according to the Weather Prediction Center. The Mid-Atlantic hasn’t seen such a deep, extended cold snap since 1989.

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As the rapidly-strengthening storm churns back out to sea late in the weekend, it is also expected to bring strong winds and coastal flooding to North Carolina and Virginia, potentially worsened by high tides from Sunday’s full moon.

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Barring a major shift in the storm track, much of the Northeast is likely to avoid another dumping of snow. Boston may see a few inches at most, according to the National Weather Service, and a light dusting is possible in New York.