Posts

John Homenuk

Arctic air topples temperature records in NYC

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Well, we can officially declare that this arctic airmass was not “hype”. In fact, it was very much the exact opposite. Low temperature records for the day were broken on Wednesday morning in and around New York City. LaGuardia (22 F) and Kennedy Airports (23 F) set new record low temperatures, as did Bridgeport (23 F) and Islip (22 F). Temperatures in the upper teens were common throughout the area. Making matters worse, west-northwest winds kept wind chill values from the single digits into the lower teens especially inland.

The cold wasn’t localized to our local area, either. As we discussed in a post yesterday, Tuesday was the coldest November morning across the average of the entire United States since 1976. The average temperature at 12z was only 19.4 F in the United States, breaking the 19.9 F record from November 30th, 1976. A whopping 85% of the United States was below freezing at that time on Tuesday morning, and more than 58% was below 20 F. Additional records may be broken on Wednesday afternoon, where the lowest high temperature records around the area airports sit near 35 F.

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John Homenuk

Record breaking cold makes its presence felt

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This was the coldest morning in the United States since 1976. How’s that for a statistic to start your day. The average temperature in the United States fell to 19.4 F at 12z this morning, beating the 19.9 F average reading from 1976. That average temperature is simply a statistical testament to the breadth and intensity of the cold air which has surged into the United States this week behind a powerful storm system and associated cold front. Temperatures were in the single digits this morning throughout much of the Central United States, and in the teens all the way through the Ohio Valley and Northeast. A remarkable 85.3% of the United States was below freezing, and 58.2% below 20 F.

In our local area, the cold surged through Monday Night into Tuesday morning and made its presence felt immediately. Temperatures fell easily below 30 F in New York City’s Central Park. This was the first time this season that the park fell below freezing. Wind Chill values were in the teens and single digits with blustery west-northwest winds blowing from 10 to 20 miles per hour. Today will be a winter-like day in the truest sense. High temperatures will struggle past the freezing mark (although the actual “daily” high temperature will be 45 F which was registered at midnight in NYC). Wind chill values will remain in the 20’s. And the westerly winds will continue surging cold air into the area tonight, when temperatures will fall even further.

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John Homenuk

Coldest air of the season arrives Monday Night

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With news of an impending rain storm and warmup on Monday, hope may be rising for increasingly pleasant weather during the next week. That hope will come crashing down as quickly as Monday Night, along with temperatures throughout the forecast area. An arctic blast, straight out of Canada, will rush into the area on Tuesday behind Monday’s storm system, bringing the coldest air of the season into the area.

Forecast models have been consistent in hinting at this potential for 7 days or more, but are just now beginning to focus in on the intensity of the cold air. Anomalous and impressive, the cold air will surge in from Central Canada. First into the Ohio Valley, and then into the Northeast — straight to the coast

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John Homenuk

Cold arrives, period of snow follows Thursday Night

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The warmth is over. A surface cold front moving through the Northeast US has reached western and central parts of the forecast area this afternoon, and it will continue to slide eastward tonight. Southeasterly winds, which brought in fog and drizzle as well as warm temperatures in the 60’s this morning, will flip to drier northwesterly winds, and a colder airmass will surge in. Forecast models are in good agreement that temperatures will drop this evening, well into the 30’s overnight tonight. But the core of the cold airmass moving southward won’t settle into our area until this weekend.

It’s not until Thursday afternoon, when a secondary cold front passes eastward, that the surge of cold air will become noticeable. Northwest winds will become blustery and temperatures will struggle out of the 40’s for highs. But more notably, high clouds will begin to increase from the southwest. The culprit? A weak disturbance riding along the front which will, by Thursday night, be to our southeast. The disturbance will kick off a very weak low pressure system in the Western Atlantic. Weak lift for precipitation will pass over our area on Thursday Night — supporting the development of some precipitation.

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