Tue Nov 18 12:20:00 UTC 2025: Headline: U.S. Shivers as Midwest Buried in Snow, South Freezes; Typhoon Batters Taiwan
Washington, D.C. – A dramatic early-winter cold snap has gripped the eastern United States, bringing record-breaking snowfall to the Midwest and unprecedented low temperatures to the South. Simultaneously, Taiwan is reeling from the impact of Typhoon Fung-wong, which brought record rainfall and widespread flooding.
Eighty weather stations across the Deep South tied or broke daily minimum temperature records on November 11th. Jacksonville, Florida, plunged to a frigid -3°C (27°F), a staggering 17°C (30°F) below the average minimum for this time of year.
The cold air mass fueled intense lake-effect snow in the Midwest, particularly along the southern and western shores of Lake Michigan. Northern Indiana was hardest hit, with Cedar Lake reporting 31cm (12 inches) of snow on Monday. Large swaths of the area received over 25cm (10 inches), while nearby Chicago experienced strong snow showers dumping 5-7cm (2-3 inches). The intense conditions even spawned reports of thundersnow. The lake-effect snow bands began to ease on Tuesday as the coldest air moved eastward.
Across the Pacific, Typhoon Fung-wong, after passing the Philippines, slammed into Taiwan as a tropical storm on Wednesday. Although weakened, the storm unleashed torrential rainfall, with Suao in Yilan county recording a staggering 648mm (25 inches) of rain through Tuesday. Floodwaters surged to 61cm (2 feet) in homes, forcing the evacuation of 8,300 residents. Despite preparedness efforts, 51 injuries were reported. Fung-wong has since weakened to a tropical depression and dissipated as it moved northeast away from Taiwan on Thursday.
First Piper 