7:15 AM | First Arctic outbreak of the season early next week

6-Day Forecast

Today

Partly sunny, breezy, not as cold, near 50

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, breezy, chilly, maybe a couple of rain showers, mid-to-upper 30’s

Saturday

Clouds in the AM with a couple of showers possible then partly sunny PM, breezy, mild, near 50

Saturday night

Partly cloudy, chilly, low 30’s; near 40 at midnight

Sunday

Partly sunny, mild, showers possible late, near 50

Monday

Mostly cloudy, windy, maybe a snow shower or two, highs near 40 early in the day, but afternoon temperatures should drop

Tuesday

Partly sunny, windy, much colder, highs near 30 degrees with even lower wind chills

Wednesday

Partly sunny, still very cold, low 30's

Discussion

The first true outbreak of Arctic air into the eastern half of the US this season will occur early next week. Temperatures will drop to well below normal levels by Tuesday and this will be quite a contrast to the mild weather pattern of recent days. In fact, temperatures will struggle to reach the 30 degree mark on Tuesday which is some 20+ degrees colder than the low 50’s expected on Sunday, New Year’s Day. This upcoming cold shot will be accompanied by strong winds on Monday and Tuesday and that will lead to much lower wind chill values. Good news for the NHL as the colder air will begin to be felt during the outdoor winter classic hockey game that takes place on Monday afternoon in South Philly. Looking ahead, this first Arctic air mass will retreat late next week as we'll get somewhat milder once again; however, there is no doubt that there will be additional cold air outbreaks during the first few weeks of January.