Brutal November Cold Continues

So much for easing into winter this cold season. Bitterly cold air has settled across the Eastern half of the US of A with half of the lower 48 reporting at least one inch of snow. Lake effect snow off of Lake Erie settled south into Northeastern Ohio Thursday evening though Friday dropping up to a foot of snow on eastern Cuyahoga County and up to six (6) inches near the airport. Sunday night into Monday morning a system tracking along an arctic front provided 3-6 inches of snow for much of the area. Thankfully the ground temperatures were warm enough to prevent much of the snow from sticking on the pavement. This same system also spun nearly twelve (12) tornadoes from Louisiana east into Georgia.  Now a much below normal air mass is centered over the eastern half of the country. Heavy lake effect snows are falling downwind of the Great Lakes. Northeast Ohio is being spared this time as a single intense snow band is hammering western New York State south of Buffalo.  Another shot of arctic air is on the way for Thursday before the deep trough lifts out and allows much more seasonable air to return for the weekend into early next week.

Currently unseasonably cold air is flowing into the nation from the Mississippi Valley eastward. It is producing heavy snowfall off the Great Lakes with snowfall rates approaching five (5) inches east of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. High temperatures remained in the upper tens across all of Northern Ohio. Overnight lows around ten (10) degrees will be near record levels. 

On Wednesday a clipper system will move quickly through the Great Lakes. It will disrupt the lake effect snow bands and allow temperatures to reach near thirty-two (32) degrees across the region. Light snow may may fall during the day with accumulations not much more than one (1) inch. 

After the cold front moves through late Wednesday, more cold arctic air will return to the region. Lake Effect snow will mostly be directed into western New York but may move south if the winds turn more westerly or even northwesterly late Thursday. High temperatures will remain in the twenties (20's) on Thursday. On Friday a high pressure will move across the region. Temperatures during the day will remain in twenties (20's) but may rise overnight as warm air is advected into the area. 

On Saturday southerly winds will bring temperatures back to near seasonable levels. The snow cover should quickly begin to melt as temperatures move through the forties (40's).

On Sunday the warm up continues as a storm system strengthens over the middle Mississippi River Valley. High temperatures across the area should rise into the lower fifties (50's) and will melt the remaining snow. Ahead of the storm system there will be a potential for severe weather as a warm and moist air mass moves inland from the Gulf of Mexico. 

On Monday, the storm system will track through the Great Lakes region well north and west of Northern Ohio. High temperatures will make it into the fifties (50's) and fall during the day after the strong cold front moves through.  Look ahead to Thanksgiving day, the region may see temperatures remaining below normal, but not at the levels we are current experiencing this week.

Hello Winter!!

Though the calendar still stays November and the area was a washed in clear skies and mild 66 degree air yesterday, winter has arrived today. A strong cold front moved late Tuesday and has ushered in the first arctic air mass of the season. The storm system associated with the front produced heavy snow from Minnesota into Upper Michigan. Currently lake effect snow is ongoing off Lake Superior and should spread south and east off the other Great Lakes through tomorrow. The deep trough will continue to dig with reinforcing shots of cold air through the middle of next week. Of course with the deep trough over the Eastern US of A, mild air associated with a large ridge of high pressure will encompass much of the country west of the Rocky Mountains and into Alaska.

Currently the leading edge of the cold air is far to the east of the region. Winds out of the north are ushering in the below normal temperatures. 

On Thursday colder air will move into the area during the morning. Light snow may accompany the  arctic front as it moves through the area. Morning air temperatures in the middle 30's may be the highs for the day as temperatures remain steady or fall in to the lower 30's. Lake effect snow will be possible in the snow belt areas from Ashtabula into northwest Pennsylvania. By Friday morning snowfall amounts may reach near ten inches where the snow persists. 

On Saturday the flow will relax as a ridge moves into the area. High temperatures on Saturday and Sunday may reach into the upper 30's before the next front moves through on Sunday. This front will drop high temperatures back in to the lower 30's and turn the lake effect snow machine back on. Another cold front will be on track to move the area on Monday. 

The coldest air so far this season will be moving into the area on Tuesday. High temperatures may not reach freezing and lake effect snows may impact areas from the central lake shore eastward. 

Quiet Weather Trending Colder

The sharp trough from Halloween weekend has moved off the east coast as an upper level ridge has taken its place over the Eastern US. Over the weekend a strong area of low pressure produced heavy snow over the southern Appalachians Mountains and eastern Maine. Light snowfall dusted areas from the Great Lakes Region east and as far south as South Carolina. Today much milder conditions have returned with many areas of the Great Lakes seeing high temperatures in the lower 60’s.  The mild weather will be fleeting as another upper level trough of low pressure carves out over the Eastern part of the county by the weekend.  A ridge of high pressure will be building over the Western States providing above normal temperatures for areas west of the Rocky Mountains.

Today the area is experiencing flow out of the south and west as high pressure moves off the East Coast. A storm system is beginning to organize over the central part of the country along a weak cold front.

On Tuesday the area will continue to see mild conditions with high temperatures in the middle to maybe even upper 60’s. The weak cold front will move the area late Tuesday with a threat of showers.

On Wednesday the weak cold front will have moved through the region. The air behind the front not terrible cold so high temperatures maybe be a few degrees above normal.

On Thursday a stronger area of low pressure will be taking aim on the area. The chances of rain be increasing during the day with near normal temperatures. After the front pushes through temperatures will fall below normal with high temperatures on Friday and Saturday remaining in the 40’s.

On Sunday another low pressure will be tracking through the Ohio River Valley. This system may generate rain showers as it moves by and it will allow another cold front out of Canada to target the area. With this pattern temperatures will stay below normal with next week possibly bringing the coldest air of the young cold weather season.