Unfortunately the quiet and tranquil conditions we have been enjoying for almost a week now will soon be coming to an end as an area of low pressure moves into the area late tonight!
A warmer, tranquil weather pattern has settled into the Northeast US over the past several days, and despite a cooling trend over the past few days, the pattern is expected to generally continue. A cold front moved through the area last night, bringing cold air advection (movement of colder air), and the cooler air aloft quickly brought warm temperatures down towards average. Highs today were 10-15 degrees colder than yesterday in many areas.
The relatively normal temperatures will warm gradually over the next few days, while generally tranquil weather will also persist. Why the change? The answers lie in the Pacific Ocean. A changed pattern there has allowed disturbances, which were previously moving quickly eastwards towards our area, to remain much farther west and approach the U.S.A more slowly.
As we move towards the halfway point of the workweek, a powerful northern stream disturbance will move through the region this afternoon. This disturbance began its journey to the Northeast US from the Northern Canadian/polar regions, and it is dropping very far south as a result of a disturbed arctic weather pattern and a strong ridge near the West Coast of the U.S.A. This disturbance will drop south and eastwards through New England tonight.
Most notably, perhaps, is the fact that this disturbance is missing a phase with a southern stream disturbance over the Mid Atlantic states, which would’ve forced the development of a much bigger and more powerful storm system. Nevertheless, its passage this afternoon and evening will lead to the the development of snow and rain showers.