Heavy snowfall, the heaviest of the year, is forecast in areas of the eastern United States Tuesday and temperatures are expected to fall to 10-25 degrees below normal.

News of the fast approaching weather closed federal offices in Washington and storm warnings/advisories are in place in southern New England and the Appalachian Mountains today. Thousands of flights throughout the entire northeastern region of the United States have been cancelled, as have many flights in the mid-Atlantic. Thousands more are delayed.

With the arctic freeze bearing down on the eastern Uniited States, a foot of snow is expected in New York and Philadelphia, and six inches in Boston and surrounding areas. High winds and plummeting temperatures following the snowfall are expected to bring the wind chill factor down to 40 degrees below zero in places according to the National Weather Service. Below freezing temperatures are expected to reach as far south as northern Florida.

Schools in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania will remain closed for an additional day following closures for Martin Luther King Day that was observed yesterday.

The state of Maryland has closed all state offices and has cut back on train and bus services in anticipation of this newest snowstorm.

Meanwhile, the western United States is experiencing higher than normal temperatures.

Temperatures throughout the state of Alaska are much higher than normal as weather fronts charge up into the Gulf of Alaska bringing high winds to the western region and parts of the Gulf as it continues to push deep into the northern areas of the state. Alaska’s Gulf Coast, normally buried deep in snow this time of year, continues to get higher temperatures and melting snow with rain showers forecast for the week in many areas of the southern part of the state.