Temperatures will plummet by up to 40 degrees this weekend as an arctic blast spreads across much of the U.S., including the Deep South.

A polar vortex is slated to sweep most of the continental United States bringing a hazardous freeze to millions of Americans from the Deep South to the Northeast Saturday going into next week.

M uch of the southern High Plains, including the Texas Panhandle, saw temperatures nosedive over 40 degrees in a few minutes. Amarillo, Texas, went from a high of 70 degrees to a low of 13 that day.

Extension agents have joined forces for the annual Great Plains Grower Conference, which bridges the gap between farmers and consumers.