2:30 PM | *Multiple snow shower threats next few days...very cold Thursday/Friday...brutally cold Saturday/Sunday with zero degrees possible...accumulating snow threat early next week*
Paul Dorian
12Z GFS forecast map of temperature anomalies on Sunday morning; courtesy tropicaltidbits.com, NOAA
Check the pipes, car batteries and anything else that can be affected by extreme cold because some is on the way for the weekend. Before the main blast of Arctic air arrives for the weekend, it’ll actually take a step down in temperatures later tonight and on Thursday. A cold front will arrive later tonight and it could cause snow shower activity after 9pm or so which could result in a quick small accumulation. Temperatures tomorrow will hold below freezing and it should stay below freezing right through the upcoming weekend. Additional snow showers can fall on Thursday and anyone of these can put down a quick coating of snow.
Another Arctic blast arrives late tomorrow night/early Saturday morning and this powerful blast could produce some of the lowest temperatures seen in these parts in a long time during the upcoming weekend. In fact, temperatures on both weekend days are likely to hold in the teens for highs along with wind chill values that are well below zero. In addition, low temperatures early Sunday morning are likely to drop to near the zero degree mark in the big city metro regions of DC, Philly, and New York City. If NYC actually reaches zero degrees, it’ll be the first time there for such readings in 22 years. Boston can very well fall to 5 degrees below zero by early Sunday morning. This Arctic frontal passage late tomorrow night and early Saturday could be accompanied by snow showers and possible snow squalls with quick small accumulations possible.
After the brutally cold weekend, clouds will increase on Monday, President’s Day, and there is likely to be some accumulating snow by late Monday or Tuesday. It is too early to tell if this system next week rides up the coast or takes an inland track. Even if it were to take an inland track and produce a changeover from snow-to-rain, accumulating snow would still likely take place on the front end of the storm. Following the early-to-mid week storm, a break in the cold pattern is likely and we may have mild weather conditions for a period of five days or so.
Meteorologist Paul Dorian
Vencore, Inc.