Arctic blast heads for Eastern US on holiday weekend

The severe weather pattern that dumped more than 10 inches of rain in parts of Texas and Louisiana is now heading east toward Florida.

In the Northern Plains and Great Lakes region, another winter storm is forming that could bring half a foot of snow to the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan over the next 24 hours. Six states have winter weather alerts this morning.

Snow already is falling in the Dakotas this morning. It's expected to spread eastward later tonight, with the heaviest accumulation stretching from North Dakota to Michigan. Some areas may get as much as 9 inches.

An arctic blast will chase behind the storm system throughout the Midwest and Great Lakes, pushing Sunday morning wind chills to below zero in some parts.

That core of cold air will slide into the Northeast by Monday, pushing wind chills in Boston into the teens and in New York into the lower 20s.