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Warmer weather on the way as severe freeze loosens dangerous grip

Friday night is still forecast to be bitterly cold for much of the central and eastern U.S., but temperatures are expected to rise next week.
Morning commuters cross the street in Manhattan on Jan. 30, 2025.
Morning commuters cross the street in Manhattan on Jan. 30. YUKI IWAMURA / AFP - Getty Images file

Rejoice! Warmer weather is on the way.

A major snowstorm and dangerous freeze that left parts of the U.S. covered in ice and snow is finally beginning to loosen its grip. Friday will be the last morning for widespread record-low temperatures, and the last afternoon with high temperatures 15 to 30 degrees below average.

Friday night is forecast to be bitterly cold for much of the central and eastern U.S., the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center said in a post on X. More than 70 million people from the central Plains to Central Florida remain under cold alerts.

A welcome warmup is expected to begin over the weekend and will last into next week. On Friday, the Chicago area will see temperatures in the low 30s. Over the next several days, temperatures will climb, reaching the mid-to-upper 40s by Monday and Tuesday.

Dallas will be in the upper 30s on Friday and in the 70s Monday and Tuesday.

Along the Gulf Coast, rain and isolated storms will cause a soggy weekend. On Saturday, the rain will affect southeastern Texas to southern Louisiana. On Sunday, Louisiana will see some more rain with showers possible across southern Mississippi and southern Alabama.