A reinforcing shot of Arctic air will push into the Mid-Atlantic region in the overnight hours assuring a very cold start to the new year. The cold front that will usher in this next Arctic air mass will have some kick to it and it could spark a quick burst of heavy snow during the late-night hours which will follow snow showers in many areas this evening. Temperatures on the first day of the new year will be well below normal and will struggle to climb much past the 30-degree mark in the I-95 corridor region and strong northwest winds will make it feel even colder than the actual outdoor temperatures. The colder-than-normal weather pattern continues through the upcoming weekend and we’ll be monitoring low pressure over the Southeast US to see if it can come far enough to the north to impact the Mid-Atlantic region. Looking ahead, the cold pattern may relax for a week or so; however, numerous signals point to the return of the cold pattern before we get to the middle of the month.
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The passage of a strong cold front on Monday ushered in an Arctic air mass to the Mid-Atlantic region and Northeast US and it is being accompanied by very strong winds that can gust today up to 50 mph or so. A reinforcing Arctic blast will arrive to start the new year on Thursday, and temperatures will remain well below-normal for the first few days of January. Looking ahead, numerous signs point to a continuation of the colder-than-normal pattern across the northern US as we progress through January and some extreme cold could get into the mix.
In addition to the wind and cold, the next few days in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast US will also feature a couple of upper-level “short-wave” disturbances that will rotate through a “long-wave” trough of low pressure now centered over the northeastern states. As a result, there can be snow showers at various times including late tonight and early tomorrow from one disturbance and again late tomorrow night to early Thursday from a second disturbance. This second “short-wave” is the stronger of the two and small snow accumulations cannot be ruled out – even in the immediate I-95 corridor from DC-to-Philly-to-NYC – right as we begin the new year on Thursday.
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A powerful cold front will barrel through the region during the next couple of hours and the winds should kick up dramatically as much colder air plunges into the northeastern part of the country. In fact, gusts can reach 50 mph this afternoon and evening in the Mid-Atlantic region from the usual post-cold frontal direction of west-to-northwest. This incoming blast of cold air will be followed quickly by a second one right around the time we transition to the new year on Thursday and that influx of Arctic air may be accompanied by some snow. As we go through the medium-term, two important changes in the atmosphere will be unfolding, and they can lead to an increased chance of an east coast storm and accumulating snow in the Mid-Atlantic region.
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December 1776 was a desperate time for General George Washington and the American Revolution. Morale was low, hope for winning the war was diminishing, and the Continental Army led by George Washington was thinning in numbers after many battles lost to the British. There was even talk of replacing General Washington with either General Charles Lee or General Horatio Gates. December began with lots of rain and muddy travel conditions for the men which did not help with their spirits. After retreating through New Jersey, they set up camp on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River where the army was met with very cold weather that led to plenty of ice on the water. All in all, things were not looking good for Washington's army. However, General George Washington devised a plan that would change the course of the war and the history of our nation.
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While the nation’s mid-section enjoys rarely ever-seen sustained warmth for the next few days, the northeastern states will continue to experience plenty of winter weather right into the early part of January. One system is bringing some accumulating snow today to the northern Mid-Atlantic region and Northeast US and some interior higher elevation locations will receive several inches. Another storm system is likely to threaten the Mid-Atlantic region and Northeast US on Friday with significant accumulating snow in some areas and substantial icing in others. A key player at the end of the week will be a strong high-pressure system over southeastern Canada which will act as an anchor for low-level Arctic air that can lead to frozen precipitation throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and Northeast US.
Looking ahead to next week, the winter weather pattern is likely to continue across the northeastern states with two major-league Arctic air outbreaks on the table. Both of these Arctic air masses will have originated up across the northwestern part of Canada where temperatures on Monday morning bottomed out at -67.7°F... reportedly the lowest temperature in Canada since January 1999…in other words, get ready, next week’s Arctic invasions might be quite noteworthy.
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While the nation’s mid-section enjoys rarely ever-seen sustained warmth for Christmas week, the northeastern states will experience plenty of winter weather during the next 7 days or so. One system will bring some snow and ice to the northern Mid-Atlantic region and Northeast US from late tonight into Tuesday and though not a significant event, there can be some slippery spots tomorrow even in the big cities along the I-95 corridor from Philly-to-Boston. Another storm could threaten the Mid-Atlantic region and Northeast US with accumulating snow and significant ice at the end of the week with strong high pressure positioned over eastern Canada anchoring an Arctic air mass. By the end of the upcoming weekend, another low pressure will slide to the Great Lakes, and its training cold front will head to the east coast. This combination can produce rain, ice and snow across the northeastern states late in the weekend and it’ll be followed by another Arctic air outbreak for the first part of next week.
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A strong cold front will barrel through the region early Friday morning, and this system will bring us heavy rain, powerful winds, and maybe even a gusty thunderstorm. Winds will be strong ahead of the front from late tonight into early Friday, gusting up to 45 mph or so from a southwesterly direction, and then they’ll shift to northwesterly following the frontal passage. After a brief lull in the winds immediately surrounding the frontal passage, they’ll pick up markedly during the mid-day and afternoon hours...potentially gusting to 50+ mph. Temperatures will act in a topsy-turvy fashion during the next 24 hours in that they’ll rise into the 50’s later tonight in most areas and then drop sharply into the 30’s during the day on Friday on the heels of the frontal passage. Snow showers are very likely to develop on Friday across some of the higher elevation interior locations and one or two of these can make their way all the way into the I-95 corridor. The weather will settle down for the weekend with dry conditions expected on both days and a moderate chill in the air and another colder-than-normal air mass will arrive for the start of next week.
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A strong cold front will barrel through the Mid-Atlantic region on Friday morning and this system will be quite active with heavy rainfall and powerful winds from later tomorrow night into Friday. There is even the chance that a squall line of gusty thunderstorms forms right along the frontal boundary zone which could result in downpours and gusty winds right around the Friday AM commute in the I-95 corridor. After a mild start to the day on Friday, temperatures are likely to drop markedly during the mid-day and afternoon hours as the next colder-than-normal air mass pours into the Mid-Atlantic region. Snow showers will develop on Friday across some of the higher elevation interior locations and one or two of these can make their way into the I-95 corridor. The weather will settle down for the weekend with dry conditions expected on both days and a moderate chill in the air.
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The next big weather event in the Mid-Atlantic region will feature rain associated with a strong cold front and there can even be a thunderstorm in the mix before the frontal system clears the area. The rain can come down hard at times from late Thursday night into Friday morning and - given the current snow cover in much of the area – we’ll have to watch for the possibility of some localized flooding. The strong cold front will pass through the Mid-Atlantic region during Friday morning, and strong winds will develop on its backside from a northwesterly direction gusting to 40 mph or so...even higher wind gusts are likely across New England. In addition, temperatures are likely to drop markedly as the cold air mass pours into the region and snow showers are likely to develop; especially, in some of the higher elevation interior locations. The weather will settle down for the weekend with dry conditions expected on both days and a moderate chill in the air.
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The first widespread snow event for the DC-to-Philly-to-NYC corridor will take place from later tonight into Sunday morning and this snow event will be followed by bone-chilling cold and biting winds for the rest of Sunday, Sunday night, and Monday. Low pressure will quickly move today across the Plains, Midwest and Ohio Valley and will get a boost later tonight as it reaches the Mid-Atlantic region thanks to strong support in the upper atmosphere. A powerful jet streak will intensify overhead of the I-95 corridor later tonight enhancing upward motion in the area and the result will be an accumulating snowfall focused on the overnight hours and the early morning hours on Sunday. The precipitation could break out as a mixed bag this evening in some areas, but will change to all snow later tonight.
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