Friday holds the double distinction of being the coldest day of the week and the coldest day of the season thus far, with the forecast calling for lots of shivering right through Saturday.

Winter weather is making its presence known across the U.S. as millions of people deal with the onslaught of a long-duration, lake-effect snowstorm that has paralyzed communities.

A storm sweeping across the country is unleashing a new round of snow from the Midwest to the Northeast amid plunging temperatures, with some places set to experience the coldest day of the season so far.

BALTIMORE -- Another blast of Arctic air is set to arrive, closing out the workweek with wintry conditions. After a sunny and cool afternoon, skies will become mostly cloudy tonight. As a result, overnight temperatures will not be as chilly as recent nights, with lows dipping into the mid-30s.

Nearly all of New Jersey will see some snow Wednesday night into Thursday as temperatures plunge from an Arctic blast of cold air. The storm will be accompanied by high winds gusting up to 50 mph. National Weather Service and AccuWeather

The cold air that has plagued the region for the past several days will persist through the rest of the week. In fact, temperatures are set to drop further as an arctic front is expected to track into the area Thursday morning,

By late Wednesday night, the arctic front will begin pushing into the region. Ahead of the front, gusty southwest winds of over 30 miles per hour will keep overnight lows into Thursday morning slightly milder,