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Public Analysis: Colder air intrudes this weekend, in a sea of warmth

After coming out of frigid airmass early this week, temperatures gradually moderated to above seasonal levels for mid-week period. This is due to more troughiness over the Western United States, and lack of high-latitude blocking, leading to more progressive pattern with a stronger Southeast ridge.

On the periphery of the ridge, the a more southwesterly flow will has allow for warmer airmass to move into Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region. Meanwhile the storm track has shift well to our north and west due the Southeast ridge. This pattern continue will for the next few days. Another low passing over the Great Lakes will push a warm front with some rain likely through the region tonight. Then temperatures tomorrow could rise well into the 50s or even lower 60s, across the area as even warmer airmass moves into region.

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Southeast ridge will flex its muscles late month

All things considered, after much conversation and discussion, meteorological winter came in cold and active during the month of December. Multiple shots of arctic air and several winter weather events, particularly in the interior, have given us a December much different than the past few years, when warm air dominated the Eastern United States’ weather pattern. That very same cold and active pattern looks likely to take a hiatus over the next few weeks.

The hemispheric pattern is undergoing changes once again — this time, pulling back the reigns on an active, amplified pattern which saw polar air drop into New England last week. This time, the stratospheric polar vortex will tighten and strengthen near the North Pole, pulling back much of the arctic air and reforming the vortex near its usual whereabouts. For much of the Northeast US, this means that arctic air will gradually become less available over the next two weeks.

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