Coldest morning of the fall greets North Carolina

Many North Carolinians woke up to the coldest morning of the fall Wednesday as they were rudely met by an early-season arctic cold front.

Wind chills were in the teens throughout many parts of the state and to some, it felt even colder. Downtown Raleigh saw a temperature of 26 with a wind chill of 18 around 5 a.m.

The average high temperature for this time of year is 65. Our projected high Wednesday is 42.

ABC11 Meteorologist Don "Big Weather" Schwenneker said the wind chills could be in the 30s all day long. Big Weather said you'll need your coat, hat, gloves, scarf and all your winter gear if you're out this morning.

The cold front comes after a Monday where temps topped out around 70. Compared to Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning is around 20 to 30 degrees colder for much of the viewing area. Tuesday saw temperatures drop considerably throughout the day and into the 30s by the evening.

SEE ALSO: Check these three things in your car before the cold arrives

The good news is that Wednesday is expected to be the coldest of the next seven days.

The cold front is impacting much of the Gulf Coast and the East Coast. Ahead of this arctic cold front is a quick-moving storm system, bringing treacherous road conditions from the Plains into the Great Lakes. Twenty states from Colorado to Maine were under a Winter Storm Warning or Winter Weather Advisory.