Plunging temperatures, snow chances signal return of typical January winter weather
A large sector of the eastern U.S. that has recently observed an abnormally warm stretch of weather will see a temperature trend and wintertime pattern return closer to what is typical in mid-January.
Some locations across the northern tier of the nation that previously had several inches of snow on the ground saw most of it melt away or turn to slush over the last week. The remaining snowpack across portions of the Great Lakes, New York state and New England could still be at risk for melting over the upcoming days before true January cold returns.
Feeling more like January again
While the week can begin with widespread highs in the 40s and 50s Fahrenheit across major cities from Chicago and Detroit, to Philadelphia and New York City, the week may end with temperatures plunging back into the 20s and 30s.
AccuWeather.com
The transition back to typical mid-January temperatures will be more noticeable later this week compared to the first few days. As the week progresses; however, the cold air mass will filter south and eastward, bringing even maximum daytime temperatures in the teens and 20s to parts of the northern Plains and Midwest by late week.
“This past Friday, Buffalo, New York, had a high of 61 degrees F, nearly 30 degrees F above their historical average high for the date and more in line of their typical high in late April,” explained AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski.
Pydynowski added, “However, a return to Arctic air will send high temperatures back down into the 20s later this week in cities such as Buffalo, a 40 degree F swing in less than a week’s time.”
Winter weather impacts this week
On Monday and Monday night, intermittent snow and flurries will develop east of Lake Ontario into New York state, but most other locations in the Midwest and Northeast will be primarily dry. Windy conditions will develop from Michigan and the Ohio Valley into portions of the Northeast throughout the day on Monday, with gusts reaching up to 30 mph in spots.
On Tuesday, a bit more moisture will advance across the region as a storm plunging southeastward across southern Ontario and Quebec, Canada, produces a swath of snow from northern Minnesota into Michigan.
AccuWeather.com
Cold air will filter in behind this storm from Canada, but as moisture on the leading edge of the storm spreads across the Ohio Valley and interior Northeast, temperatures will still be able to support precipitation falling in the form of plain showers ahead of the cooler conditions arriving.
By Tuesday night, additional periods of snow and snow showers will expand across Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan while sporadic showers push south and eastward across the Ohio Valley.
Monitoring potential impacts from late-week storm
“In addition to the return to cold more typical of mid-January, more expansive snow chances will make a return to the forecast as well as the week continues,” noted Pydynowski.
AccuWeather.com
AccuWeather forecasters are monitoring the late-week setup across the East, noting that a few factors will impact the movement and intensity of this potentially notable feature, resulting in different scenarios on how the week may pan out.
“A deep, vigorous, dip in the jet stream and a cold front will lead to the development of a storm across the Great Lakes and Midwest on Wednesday. This storm will move eastward Thursday into Friday and potentially form into a potent coastal storm that could bring significant snow to Interstate-95 cities,” warned Pydynowski.
Pydynowski stated that, “Even if this coastal storm does not materialize, some snow is possible in much of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic Thursday into Friday. Not to be forgotten, on the western side of this storm, the wind flow will be such that a period of significant lake-effect snow could occur in parts of Chicagoland Wednesday night into Thursday morning, potentially impacting the morning commute Thursday across Northwest Indiana and Northeast Illinois.”
AccuWeather.com
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