Preparations are underway as an arctic blast dives into the nation's interior and southern regions and pushes a snowstorm into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast that will be followed by lethal cold.

FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar outlines the life-threatening cold that will dive into the South ahead of a winter storm that could unfold in the region starting early next week.

Uncertainty in the forecast is still high for the winter weather threat next week in Acadiana but confidence is growing that we could see a snow event on Tuesday. Regardless, extremely cold air will arrive over the weekend with a high risk for hard freezes next week with temperatures falling into the 20s for several nights.