Nineteen states are under a freeze warning for the next 24 hours as temperatures suddenly drop

A freeze warning has been issued for 19 states as temperatures are expected to drop above 30°C over the next 24 hours.

The cold snap will affect states in the Midwest, the Great Plains, and the South and Northeast, including the Dakotas, Ohio, Texas and North Carolina.

Temperatures could dip into the mid-20s in parts of Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Nevada and California.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), freeze warnings are implemented when “significant, widespread freezing temperatures are expected.”

Cold snaps – or sudden, short periods of low temperatures – can damage outdoor plants and crops, as well as pipes. The NWS advises people in affected areas to cover outdoor plants and drains from this cold weather.

States highlighted in dark blue are under a freeze warning for the next 24 hours as the NWS predicts temperatures will drop to above 30°C

Although subfreezing temperatures are normal overnight in mid-October, the NWS warned that the crash could kill crops and other sensitive vegetation and damage unprotected outdoor utilities.

“Mid-October will bring a cold spell across much of the central and eastern U.S. over the next few days, as high temperatures are unlikely to climb above the 50s in most locations,” the NWS said in a brief public discussion.

“Low temperatures are also expected to remain well below average for this time of year and into the 30s, resulting in widespread frost/freeze opportunities between the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic,” the agency added.

The NWS also forecast freezing temperatures as low as 24 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of central, northwest and west-central Minnesota and southeastern North Dakota.

Freeze warnings have been issued for large portions of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, as well as small portions of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Virginia, West Virginia. North Carolina and Kentucky.

Most alerts were triggered on Wednesday, October 17, at 2 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET.

Freeze warnings were also issued in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, as well as small portions of Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Ohio, Wyoming and Nebraska.

Temperatures could dip into the mid-20s in parts of Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Nevada and California.

According to the NWS, a freeze warning is announced when minimum overnight temperatures fall between 33 and 36 degrees Fahrenheit during the growing season.

Frost can damage crops and outdoor plants by causing their cells to burst. This is because water in plant cells expands when it freezes.

“Susceptible outdoor plants can be killed if not covered,” the NWS said. “Take steps now to protect sensitive plants from the cold.”

Additionally, cold snaps can cause pipes to freeze and burst.

“To prevent water pipes from freezing, wrap them, drain them or allow them to drain slowly,” the NWS said.