The sudden freeze that has chilled many who had experienced a somewhat toasty autumn in the Eastern United States is set to continue this week as far south as Florida, while heavy lake-effect snow will return near the Great Lakes and widespread snow is likely to blanket the interior Northeast through Friday.
In October and November, the average temperature in Central Park in New York was three degrees above normal. Since Thanksgiving, the temperature has averaged closer to 10 degrees below normal. This trend will continue for most of this week, especially on Thursday and Friday, after a quick-hitting storm system whips up strong winds that should make it feel even colder.
Here is what to expect in the days ahead:
Wednesday: A brief reprieve from the cold
Temperatures will briefly turn moderate in the east Wednesday, with high temperatures nearing their average for this time of the year, forecasters said. This is expected to be short-lived, as a swift and robust storm system will clip the northern tier of the United States, delivering more widespread light snow from the Midwest to the Northeast and ushering in even colder air.
The storm will move across the Great Lakes on Wednesday, with the heaviest snow over Northern Michigan as it pushes toward the East Coast into Thursday morning.
Precipitation is expected to begin from west to east Wednesday evening and overnight, mainly in the form of snow across the interior of the Northeast and a wintry mix getting closer to New York City.
Thursday: The lake-effect snow returns and temperatures plummet
By sunrise, it will most likely be a cold, wet mess along the Atlantic Coast in the Northeast similar to the weather on Thanksgiving morning. Snow will probably fall farther inland and will accumulate slightly more in the higher elevations of the Appalachian Mountains, from the Carolinas to Maine.
In the wake of this storm system, Arctic air will plunge across the Northeast, once again piling feet of lake-effect snow on the hard-hit Great Lakes region.
“Perhaps more impactful than the precipitation, colder air and gusty winds develop on the backside of the system,” forecasters from the National Weather Service in New York City said.
This burst of colder air increases the possibility of snow squalls downwind from the Great Lakes, as well as high winds across a wider area into the Ohio Valley, the Appalachians and across the Mid-Atlantic. The strong winds and colder temperatures will make it feel even colder than the thermometer measures. In the New York City area, windchill values may be in the 20s by late day.
Friday and Saturday: Conditions remain blustery
Temperatures in the Northeast are expected to remain well below average late in the week. High temperatures in places such as New York City will reach only the 30s on Friday and Saturday, forecasters said. Winds will continue to be blustery across the region, making it feel even colder.
A forecaster with the Weather Prediction Center said the first bout of winter weather across the east-central United States should come to an end later this weekend as Arctic temperatures eventually moderate.
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