Tampa -- Arctic air will settled into the Bay area Thursday, setting the stage for a night of freezing temperatures for much of the region.

The high only made it to around 57 degrees, which is about 20 degrees below average for this time of year.

Small craft advisories are in effect.

The National Weather Service has issued a Freeze Warning for the entire Tampa Bay area, with the exception of Pinellas County. The Freeze Warning will be in effect from 4 a.m. until 8 a.m. Friday morning.

A Freeze Warning is issued when three or more hours of temperatures between 27 and 32 degrees are expected over a widespread area.

The Weather Service recommends that residents remove or cover any cold-sensitive plants and bring pets indoors.

Low humidity has also prompted the Weather Service to issue a Red Flag Warning, meaning the chances of wildfires are increased.

Meanwhile, parts of the Northeast are bracing for another pow from Mother Nature. A winter storm is expected to drop more than a foot of snow in areas such as upstate New York, parts of which got about two feet of snow on Wednesday.

School has been called off for today in Philadelphia and New Jersey Transit is honoring bus tickets on trains.