Hard freeze watch as arctic blast approaches, chilly Wednesday afternoon

You've got 24 hours to get those preps done before the Polar Express comes screeching into the station. Howling winds will drain in dangerously cold air, resulting in single-digit and negative wind chills. Limit time outside for you and your pets, especially during the coldest parts of the day. At least two nights of hard freezes are likely, in addition to scattered power outages from winds and bitter afternoons. Good wind/solar supply should help the grid's demands, but be ready for anything and that includes major travel implications. After shivering our way through Christmas, New Year's looks to be quite the treat with temperatures rising above average for much of the nation!