Yahoo Home Sharp cooldown to bring winterlike chill to East Coast
The coldest air this season is set to spread far and wide early this week, and AccuWeather meteorologists say it is likely to stick around.
Fall often comes with rapid swings in the weather, with warm conditions and chilly air often replacing each other in rapid fashion. This year has been no different, and after Hurricane Nicole brought inches of rain and warm tropical air to the majority of the East Coast, a potent cold front has swept through, bringing a stark reminder that winter is just weeks away.
Already, in the Midwest and Tennessee Valley, a sharp change with much lower temperatures has taken place. For example, after Nashville, Tennessee, had a high of 73 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday, Saturday's temperatures only reached a mere 48 degrees, the lowest high temperature for the Music City since March 12. Nashville then followed that up with a high of only 41 degrees on Sunday. Farther north, Chicago reached 61 F on Friday, before tumbling to 36 the day after and 38 on Sunday.
The change may have been most stark in St. Louis. After an average November day on Friday with a high of 60 degrees, the mercury only climbed to the freezing mark on Saturday as snowflakes flew through the air. While the city itself only observed a trace of snow, some nearby suburbs awoke to heavier snowfall, which accumulated up to 8 inches in spots.
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The sudden weather change in these areas, and locations farther east, will be driven by the placement of the jet stream. In recent weeks, a northward bulge in the jet allowed for warm air to spill through much of the country, and the cold air to remain mostly in Canada. This time, a more potent cold front has swept through, allowing the jet stream and the polar air, to sink southward.
"Up to this point, much of the East has experienced brief bursts of chilly air that have lasted two to maybe four days, but the pattern that is currently unfolding will be the longest stretch of below-normal temperatures so far this season," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Joe Lundberg said in recent days, noting that this surge of cold air is more likely to stick around as winter draws nearer.
Along much of the busy Interstate-95 corridor, cities such as Baltimore and Philadelphia will have highs in the lower 40s through Monday with low temperatures around the freezing mark overnight.
Locations a bit farther north and west may turn even chillier. In cities such as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Binghamton, New York, high temperatures for the next several days may only peak at around 40 degrees, before falling well into the 20s overnight.
After the noticeable drop in temperatures, the chilly conditions are forecast to stick around. Through next weekend, forecast highs in New York City are in the 40s, as much as 10 degrees below normal for mid-November. In the same time frame, high temperatures in Washington, D.C., are forecast to reach no higher than the lower 50s.
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Unlike some surges of chilly air that stay confined to northern locations, much of the Southeast will have a quick drop in temperatures to close out the weekend. In Atlanta, after a high of around 70 on Saturday, temperatures only peaked at 48 degrees on Sunday, and are forecast to fall into the low 40s by Tuesday. Nighttime temperatures will only be lower, and the northern suburbs may have their first freeze of the season. Atlanta is likely to remain on the cool side throughout the week, with highs struggling to reach the middle 50s most days.
Even parts of the Gulf Coast can expect a noticeable drop in temperature. After a high in the 80s on Friday, Mobile, Alabama, only topped 58 on Sunday. In Tallahassee, Florida, highs only in the 60s are likely to stick around through Monday. The only location likely to remain unscathed from the chill will be the Florida Peninsula, where warm tropical air will linger.
In addition to the sudden cold air, a quick-moving storm began to to sweep through the Northeast on Sunday. In combination with the cold, snow may fall and even stick in some locations.
"Snow showers are expected at times in much of northern Pennsylvania, northeastern Ohio and upstate New York through Monday," AccuWeather Meteorologist Elizabeth Danco explained, noting that any accumulation was most likely near the Great Lakes due to lake-effect snowfall.
Wherever any snow sticks to the ground, it should be confined to elevated and grassy surfaces and remain on the lighter side, generally 1 to 3 inches. However, any heavier bursts could lead to slightly higher totals, and lead to some slushy accumulations on roads should it occur during the colder nighttime hours.
Even in locations where the snow will not accumulate, any flurries that fly could be the first flakes of the season for some.
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"Combined with gusty winds expected across the northeastern U.S. on Monday, it will be feeling downright cold first thing in the morning," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Courtney Travis.
AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures are forecast to only be in the 20s F for cities from Boston to Richmond, Virginia, and in interior locations, it could feel more like the teens.
With the calendar already well into November, and a more persistent wave of cold air in place, residents can count on there being more bouts of wintry weather in the coming week.
Already, forecasters are monitoring the next storm to arrive later in the coming week, with snow set to fall from Texas to Maine over the coming days.
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