Arctic blast to arrive in the Mid-South as the official start of Winter kicks off Wednesday

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Winter is coming.

The official start of Winter is marked by the Winter Solstice, which is also the shortest day of the year in terms of hours of sunlight.

This year’s winter solstice will occur at 3:48 p.m. CST on Wednesday, December 21.

And right on cue, a brutal, Arctic blast of cold air will funnel into the region.

Dangerously cold temperatures will follow a cold front that moves in Thursday (December 22).

The Arctic air behind the front will start building in Thursday night and Friday morning, dropping temperatures into the single digits.

Once temperatures drop below freezing on Thursday, we will likely stay sub-freezing through the Holiday Weekend and into Monday of the following week. Negative wind chills will be possible as well.

Additionally, this cold front will bring a chance for wintry weather.

It is too early to talk specifics, such as type of precipitation and potential accumulation this system may bring, but the bottom line is that we are looking at an extreme cold outbreak across the Mid-South starting mid-week.

The First Alert Weather Team will continue to monitor this system and bring you the latest details as they become available.

Be sure to download the WMC First Alert weather app for Apple or Android to your smartphone or tablet. It’s FREE and will give you instant access to current weather conditions and forecasts for your specific location.

You’ll also have a live, interactive radar and should any advisories or warnings be issued for your location you will get them instantly on your phone or tablet.

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