Half the Country Is Covered in Snow Right Now

Snow gets a head start on this year's winter in the United States.

— -- The official start of winter is still more than a month away, but about half the United States is already covered in snow.

Arctic air in the Gulf Coast and the Northeast will produce temperatures as much as 20 degrees below average.

But at least Thursday’s temperatures “won't be quite as bitter," the National Weather Service said this morning.