Image description:

From NOAA Visualizations:

A drop in the jet stream sent temperatures across the United States plummeting over the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend. The pronounced change in temperatures can be seen in this weather data from NOAA/NCEP’s Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis. Areas colored blue are below freezing. The diurnal cycle of heating and cooling can be seen over time, but the pattern is clear: much of the U.S. is pretty cold.

Image description: Nathan Yau, from the blog Flowing Data, created this image based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association. It reveals that fatal car accidents are more likely to occur on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and that fewer fatal accidents occur during winter months, which is attributable to the fact that people drive fewer miles in winter months.

Learn more about safe driving.