8:15 AM ***Major Arctic outbreak plunges through central US…powerful Arctic front reaches Mid-Atlantic late Friday...damaging winds, quick freeze-up, even a snow squall…very cold Christmas weekend****

December 18, 2022Paul Dorian

A major Arctic air outbreak will blast into the US this week. The core of the frigid air will drop southeastward on Monday from western Canada into Montana/North Dakota and then dive southward to Texas by later in the week. Numerous low temperature records are likely to be set in this outbreak all the way from the US/Canada border to the US/Mexico border. The Arctic air mass will then make another move on Friday to the northeast with a powerful surface frontal system at the leading edge of the advancing cold air mass.

The powerful Arctic front will arrive in the Mid-Atlantic’s I-95 corridor likely late Friday and its passage could be quite dramatic. Damaging winds are possible late Friday, temperatures will drop sharply, and there can be a quick freeze-up or “flash-freeze” of any lingering wet spots on roadways.  In addition, snow showers or even heavier snow squalls can develop as the Arctic air pours into the region in a still very unstable atmosphere. Christmas Eve (Saturday) and Christmas Day (Sunday) will be very cold throughout the eastern US with some of the coldest weather conditions for these two days in many years.

12:45 PM | *****Record-breaking Arctic outbreak next week and a very cold looking Christmas weekend……major storm may precede the Arctic blast…significant snow next 24 hours interior Northeast US*****

December 15, 2022Paul Dorian

A record-breaking Arctic air outbreak will blast into the US next week. This frigid air mass will spread south and east next week - no doubt breaking numerous low temperature records along the way - and reach the eastern states by week’s end. A very cold Christmas weekend is in store for much of the eastern half of the nation. In fact, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (Saturday, Sunday) could turn out to the coldest such in many years across much of the eastern half of the nation. With respect to snow chances, there may very well be a major storm system that forms on the leading edge of the Arctic blast at the end of next week in the eastern US which raises hope for a white Christmas in many locations.

Meanwhile, in the short-term, the major storm that has pounded much of the country in recent days with blizzard conditions in northern areas and severe weather in southern states is now impacting the Mid-Atlantic region and Northeast US.  Rain will be the dominate precipitation type from here on out in the immediate I-95 corridor to go along with increasingly strong easterly winds. Significant snow is on the table for upstate PA, upstate NY, and the interior part of New England with some spots likely to receive more than a foot. Following this storm, much of the nation will experience colder-than-normal conditions this weekend with virtually coast-to-coast below-normal temperatures.

1:00 PM | ****An icy mess early tomorrow in the DC-to-Philly corridor; especially, N/W suburbs…plain rain later along I-95 and some will be heavy…major Arctic outbreak into the US later next week****

December 14, 2022Paul Dorian

A powerful storm that has caused problems in much of the nation in recent days will impact the Mid-Atlantic region and Northeast US from later tonight into early Friday. Heavy snow associated with this impactful storm system fell this past weekend in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of eastern California and southern Cascades. Significant snow then fell from Monday into Tuesday across the northern Rockies and Northern Plains and today’s blizzard conditions will extend east to Minnesota and Wisconsin.  Meanwhile, in the warm sector of this large-scale storm system, severe weather including isolated tornadoes broke out yesterday from Texas/Oklahoma to Louisiana and the threat zone today will shift slightly to the east to include Mississippi and Alabama.

By late tonight, precipitation will break out in the Mid-Atlantic and an icy mess is on the table for early Thursday from DC-to-Philly; especially, in the northern and western suburbs of those cities. Increasingly strong easterly winds will pump in slightly milder maritime air later tomorrow bringing about a transition to plain rain and some of it will become heavy at times into the nighttime hours to go along with those strong winds. 

Looking ahead, a major Arctic air outbreak appears to be headed to the US later next week and the frigid air mass will likely last stick around right through the Christmas weekend in much of the central and eastern US.  Arctic cold has gripped Europe for the past several days and this is often a foreshadowing of conditions to come in the US.  The cold weather pattern will remain quite active as well next week increasing the chances for a white Christmas in much of the northern US.

2:00 PM | ***Blizzard/severe weather today…an icy mess in parts of I-95 corridor early Thursday…significant snows interior Mid-Atl./NE US…widespread Arctic outbreak in US later next week***

December 13, 2022Paul Dorian

A major storm system continues to wreak havoc across the nation today with blizzard conditions in the Northern Plains and severe weather in the south-central US.  This same system dumped 6 feet of snow over the weekend in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of eastern California. As this initial storm system grinds to a halt over the Upper Midwest later this week, a secondary storm will form near the eastern seaboard.  This system will bring significant snows to interior sections of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast from Thursday into Friday while the I-95 corridor region from DC-to-Philly-to-NYC is likely to experience a wintry mix at the onset of the event followed by heavy (plain) rain and strong winds. 

Looking ahead, an Arctic outbreak appears to be headed to the US later next week and the biting cold will likely last right through Christmas weekend in the central and eastern states.  Arctic cold has already become well established across much of Europe and Asia which is often a foreshadowing of conditions to come in the US.  The cold pattern will remain quite active later next week with storm chances increasing the chances for a white Christmas in much of the northern US.

1:00 PM | ***Wintry mix at onset of late week storm system in Mid-Atlantic region…very cold pattern now across much of Europe/Asia…sets up across US later next week…active pattern continues***

December 12, 2022Paul Dorian

The overall weather pattern has become quite active and the latest storm system will wreak havoc across much of the nation during the next few days.  In fact, this system has already contributed to several feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades out west and blizzard conditions will develop on Tuesday across the northern Rocky Mountain states. By tomorrow night and Wednesday, this storm system will bring blizzard conditions to the and Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. 

At the same time, the warm sector of this storm will likely feature some severe weather from later tomorrow into Wednesday across the Lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys.  On Thursday, the precipitation field from this impactful storm system will reach the Mid-Atlantic region and the onset is likely to feature a wintry mix - even into the I-95 corridor before an eventual changeover to plain rain.

Looking ahead, a very cold pattern is destined to develop across the central and eastern US later next week.  Arctic cold has already become well established across much of Europe and Asia – often a foreshadowing of conditions to come in the US.  The cold pattern will remain quite active as well increasing the chances for a White Christmas in much of the northern US.