7:00 AM | **A reinforcing shot of Arctic air arrives tonight and temperatures will plunge back to the single digits**
Paul Dorian
6-Day Forecast
Today
Partly sunny, bitter cold, snow showers possible late this afternoon, highs only able to reach the low-to-mid 20’s
Tonight
More unreasonable cold with partly cloudy skies and lows in the upper single digits
Friday
Mostly sunny, bitter cold, near 20
Friday Night
Brutal cold with partly cloudy skies, low teens
Saturday
Mostly cloudy, cold, but not as harsh, snow showers likely with minor accumulations possible , low-to-mid 30’s
Sunday
Partly sunny, breezy, very cold, mid-to-upper 20’s
Monday
Mostly cloudy, very cold, chance for some snow, mid-to-upper 20’s
Tuesday
Partly sunny, more brutal cold, upper teens
Discussion
You know you have an extremely cold air mass when schools in Vermont are delayed due to cold conditions. That is the case this morning as temperatures are brutal from New England to Florida with temperatures ranging from 30 below in Pittsburg, New Hampshire to 32 degrees at Daytona Beach, Florida. In fact, this cold is so extensive that there are currently winter storm warnings in places like Houston and Galveston in Texas with frozen precipitation expected there in the near term. Elsewhere, the ice cover on Lake Erie is now at 94% which is the highest amount at this time of year in almost 20 years.
Around here temperatures currently range from the upper single digits to the lower teens and they bottomed out at an impressive 2 degrees below zero earlier today at Dulles Airport in Virginia which is their coldest reading since 1996. A reinforcing Arctic blast will ensure more single digits for lows late tonight which would be the third night in a row featuring that kind of bitter cold - a rarity indeed for these parts. An Arctic frontal system will usher in this next bitter cold air mass and it could touch off some snow shower activity late today and early tonight, but it shouldn't amount to much. Another Arctic front arrives later Saturday and snow is likely in the region with minor accumulations possible. After a frigid Sunday, another Arctic front will approach the region on Monday and that could help to generate a storm near the Mid-Atlantic coastline so snow is possible and there is some potential with the Monday system. Following that system, an absolute brutal air mass that had its origins in Siberia will invade the central and eastern US next Tuesday and Wednesday with some incredible cold.
Any good news...Nationals pitchers and catchers report in 21 days.
Video
httpv://youtu.be/Ev_17fNbjWo