Frigid Weather Reaches Into Lower US, But Relief is in Forecast

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (NEWSnet/AP) — Much of the U.S. remained gripped by deadly Arctic weather Sunday, with subfreezing conditions reaching as far south as Texas and Florida.

But numbing cold is expected to ease in the coming days.

Freezing rain, sleet and high wind gusts later Sunday could make travel treacherous in parts of Kansas and Oklahoma, National Weather Service said. Wind chill in Iowa made it feel like minus-20 degrees.

But the end of subzero temperatures is in sight for parts of the country. The daily high temperatures in Iowa's capital of Des Moines, for example, are expected to stay above freezing starting Monday.

Winter storms this month have claimed at least 67 lives in the U.S. many involving hypothermia or crashes.

So many pipes broke in Memphis that water pressure fell throughout the city. Concerned about possible contamination, Memphis Light, Gas & Water urged its 400,000 customers to boil water or use bottled supplies on Saturday, as crews worked around the clock to make repairs.

On the West Coast, freezing rain was forecast in Columbia River Gorge and the area was expected to remain near or below freezing through at least Sunday night. Trees and power lines coated with ice could topple if they get more, NWS said.

Forecast from National Weather Service is for above-average temperature throughout most of the nation this week.

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