Bitterly cold arctic air is heading this way, and will deliver the coldest weather since last winter.... First, how about some good news! A nice, relatively mild day today; most spots reached the middle and upper 50s, which is average for early January. But the weather today was nothing more than a nasty tease because our temperatures drop like a rock beginning tonight.
For a hint of the type of cold that will impact much of the eastern half of the country, check out the numbers north of the Canadian border (as of 1pm Tuesday)- OUCH!!
The arctic cold front blows through here this evening and tonight; as it does, there will be no doubt about it. The first thing you'll notice is a strong, icy north wind, followed by a sharp drop in temperatures. Lows fall into the upper 20s to low 30s tomorrow morning- not too bad, but as the arctic air deepens during the day Wednesday, afternoon highs hold in the low 40s. Temperatures quickly fall below freezing after sunset, then will plummet throughout the night, reaching the teens by sunrise Thursday; on average, we're projecting lows in the 12 to 17 degree range. And with a bitter north wind it will feel even colder as wind chill values fall below 10 degrees (Wednesday night-Early Thursday morning). During the day Thursday, most spots struggle to crack the middle 30s; obviously, we're talking dangerous cold here!
Turning slightly warmer over the weekend, but still cold and well below average. As the pattern becomes more unsettled, a couple of weak disturbances arrive: one Friday morning, then the second, late Saturday or early Sunday. While a significant winter weather event looks unlikely as of now, we'll need to at least watch the potential for some light freezing rain or sleet. We'll keep you updated as the week progresses!
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Michael Haynes​
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