A Cool Week, But COLD Ahead (Plus Rocket Launch Photos!)
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If you're been frequenting this blog, you know I've been chatting up the long-term probability of very cold air for the end of November. Well, that still looks on track now that we're just several days off! Amazing how well the computer models can pick up on these trends these days. So while the rest of this work week will be chilly, enjoy it. Much colder air is on the horizon as we get into the weekend.
Not much to say about the next couple days. Tonight is the coldest night of the week, with lows in the 20s and wind chills in the 10s under clear skies. Excellent viewing for the Minotaur rocket launch, which lifts-off from Wallops Island, VA around 8:15pm ET. While folks around DC and southern Jersey will get a phenomenal show, we too will be able to spot it. Look into the southern sky shortly after launch to pick it up. I'll post some pictures here when they become available. You can watch it online here: http://bit.ly/16LpLdG
Update: Some photos sent out via Twitter!
Tomorrow high pressure will crest over the Northeast, so although there will still be a chilly breeze it will be much less active than the one we had to deal with on Tuesday. Highs will reach the lower 40s, and with full sunshine it won't feel too bad for this time of the year. Back into the 20s tomorrow night, and back into the 40s on Thursday. The only difference is that we'll add some cirrus clouds and the word 'upper' before '40s' on Thursday.
On Friday there will be a little more to talk about, as a warm front reaches into New England. This spells a thicker cloud deck for us and continuation of cool temperatures in the 40s to near 50. A few showers may be able to reach the ground as we head toward the evening, and we'll have a better idea of exactly how many/how heavy as we get a little closer. Rain showers are likely Friday night, and should wrap up by sometime early Saturday morning.
This system will be very similar to the one we just saw. Main energy tracks to our NW through the Great Lakes, we get a brief burst of (not much) rain, and then a blast of colder air behind it. The main difference, however, will be that this air mass will be much colder than the one we're seeing now. If the pattern holds, it will be the coldest air of the season so far and keep highs near the freezing mark on Sunday, plummeting into the 10s Sunday night. So if you're planning your Foxboro tailgate, get the portable heaters ready. It's going to be a frigid night for the Patriots SNF match-up with the Broncos. Some snow showers could spill into Southern New England on Sunday as well...definitely starting to feel like the holidays! Some of the mountains up north should get a good pounding of snow with upslope flow.
There's an outside chance we don't even get out of the 20s on Monday for some towns. That's 'real deal' winter air territory. And I don't foresee it warming up much next week. Early indications are for a pretty chilly, and potentially stormy Thanksgiving. It's still way too far out to say with any certainty, but I can't take a potential rain/snow/mix situation off the table right now. Definitely a forecast worth monitoring.
