Approximately 2-3 inches of snow fell early this week, blanketing Tyler County in a fresh coat of winter white which caused delays throughout the area.

Monday’s forecast was snow. Tuesday’s forecast, snow. Today, tomorrow and the next day residents of the immediate area of the Ohio Valley can basically expect, snow.

Though average high’s for this time of the year are anywhere between 32 and 38, weather forecasters are predicting the highs for the local area in the next few days to be only around 22 degrees, with the lows coming in at about 17 degrees.

AccuWeather.com reports a cold wave with no end in site is penetrating the entire eastern half of the U.S. Expert Senior Meteorologist Jim Andrews with AccuWeather.com said the United States will continue to see frigid conditions.

“Temperatures close to normal could be seen in coming weeks, but the chill will return,” he said.

“A winter like this may have temperatures warming to normal occasionally, but extreme weather will reload and come back even colder,” agreed Chief Meteorologist and expert long-range forecaster, Joe Bastardi.

With roadways slippery and dangerous, and some not even treated or cleared, county schools were closed on Monday and Tuesday along with all extra-curricular activities scheduled. Low temperatures, however, kept snow-bound students from enjoying their snow day, outside playing in the white stuff.

But if long range forecasters are correct, the kids will have plenty of time to enjoy the winter wonder-like weather because more snow is predicted to be on the way.

AccuWeather.com reports nearly the entire eastern half of the United States is enduring bitterly cold temperatures not experienced since 1985.

“It’ll be like the great winters of the ’60’s and ’70’s,” said Bastardi.

He said that the upcoming days will bring cold not seen since 1985 or 1982, and he believes this winter is shaping up much like that of 1977-78. That winter, nearly all of the United States east of the Rockies had a cold October, followed by a warm November, with the cold returning in December.

Temperatures have not been this low since the winter of 2002-03, which is known as the benchmark for frigid conditions in the last decade. However, that year the cold was not as widespread as what is happening now.

With the entire eastern half of the country in the throes of the arctic snap, this is shaping up to be the coldest winter in many people’s memories.