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NYC Weather Update – Mar 14, 2016

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After a week of being spoiled with late-Spring warmth, we start this week off with a rude awakening of below average temperatures and a rainy, raw day. Temperatures rebound back into above normal ranges quickly, but they won’t be anything like the record-breaking warmth we experienced last week. St. Patrick’s Day looks to be a decent day – at least from a meteorological perspective.

Rest of today – most of the heavier rain has already moved north and east of the area, but lingering showers will punctuate dry spells for the remainder of the day and into the overnight hours. These won’t be the kinds of downpours that get you wet even when you have an umbrella. Combined with a persistent east wind, these showers will be enough to make it feel raw and unpleasant for the day. High temperatures will be below average – only be in the mid-40s with this onshore easterly flow off the ocean.

Tuesday – rain ends early, leaving us with a mostly cloudy day with patchy fog, and a high temperature in the low-mid 50s.

Wednesday – best day of the week by far, as temperatures will rise into the upper-50s to low-60s across the area with partly sunny skies.

Thursday (St. Patrick’s Day) – this day should turn out decently for revelers as temperatures should again be close to 60ºF, however, there is a chance of passing showers in the afternoon.

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NYC Weather Update – Mar 7, 2016

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Although spring is still technically two weeks away, it certainly will not feel that way this week with some very warm weather coming our way. The warm temperatures appear to persist well into the latter part of this week, and onwards into the weekend.

Rest of today – a sunny preview of things to come this week with temperatures in the mid-50s.

Tuesday – the warm up begins with high temperatures easily reaching 60ºF in the city despite clouds.

Wednesday – as high pressure moves off of the East Coast, clockwise return flow on its western edge brings with it a surge of warmer air, allowing temperatures to soar into the upper-60s (probably topping 70ºF in the city also), breaking some daily records especially in interior regions.

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Thursday – a weak disturbance moves through late in the day on Thursday, but temperatures will remain warm in the upper-60s prior to this disturbance’s passage.

Friday – following the passage of the disturbance above, we get somewhat of a cool down, with high temperatures dropping 10ºF into the upper-50s on Friday. This is still well above normal for this time of year though!

Spring Warms Up Early

Looking ahead, Climate Prediction Center models suggest a high likelihood of above average temperatures for the entire Eastern United States in the 1-2 week range.

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NYC Weather Update – Feb 29, 2016

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This week opens up with some very mild and spring-like weather. March will arrive like a lamb for sure. However, following a storm system moving through Wednesday, temperatures will cool off to below normal levels, with a possibility for some snow Friday! This kind of highly variable weather is typical for spring, which officially starts in just under 3 weeks time.

Rest of today –  a line of showers associated with a cold front passed through this morning and has moved well off to the east of the city. Skies have cleared up, and temperatures are rising steadily into the upper-50s. Would not be surprised to see some areas top 60ºF this afternoon.

Tuesday – despite the passage of a cold front today, temperatures don’t cool off too much tomorrow. Mostly sunny skies should yield temperatures slightly above normal in the upper-40s.

Wednesday – the next storm system moves in overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. The low pressure center responsible for this storm is forecast to pass almost directly over the region early Wednesday morning. As it approaches, it will pull in warmer air from the south into its counterclockwise cyclonic flow, which will result in temperatures actually warming up overnight into the upper-40s. Temperatures will peak  Wednesday morning around 50ºF, accompanied by periods of rain. Rain should be dissipating by 2PM in the afternoon.

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Thursday – following the passage of the low pressure above, temperatures will cool off into the upper-30s fro Thursday under mostly sunny skies.

Drought Ends

The last couple months have delivered sufficient snow and rain to bust the moderate drought that had been persisting over the NYC metro area, in particular on Long Island. This is excellent news for farmers and gardeners throughout the region ahead of the upcoming growing season.

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NYC Weather Update – Feb 22, 2016

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This week features an active weather pattern with precipitation possible from Tuesday evening through parts of Thursday. Temperatures start off below normal before rising above normal for Wednesday and Thursday, then finally dropping below normal again to end the week. A cooler than normal trend will persist into the beginning of March.

Rest of today – mostly clear with high temperatures in the mid-upper 40s.

Tuesday – the weaker of two storm systems to affect the region this week will approach from the south. Chances for precipitation will increase through the afternoon and become likely overnight. Temperature profiles at the start of the event will support light rain/snow mix before transitioning to all rain for the city overnight. High temperatures should top off in the upper-30s.

Wednesday – rain likely throughout the day, increasing in coverage and intensity through the morning into the afternoon. High temperatures will be warm in the upper-40s.

Thursday – the heaviest rains with this storm system are forecast to occur during the overnight hours Wednesday going into Thursday. Showers are still possible Thursday morning with most precipitation ending during the afternoon. A warm front will pass Wednesday night, which will help support mild temperatures in mid-50s.

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Friday – a trailing cold front from the storm above passes through late Thursday, and in the wake of this cold front, skies will start clearing Friday with temperatures cooling off, and highs only around 40ºF.

Cooler to End February

A cooler than normal temperature trend is likely to occur to end the month and to start March.

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NYC Weekend Weather – Feb 18, 2016

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This weekend will be uneventful in terms of sensible weather, and will stand in stark contrast to last weekend in terms of temperatures. As you’ll recall, we had high temperatures last Sunday around 10ºF – this Sunday high temperatures may be 40ºF warmer than that, near 50ºF. Looking ahead, though, there is a chance for a mid-week storm next week, and it would appear that there’ll be another downward temperature trend to end the month, perhaps lasting into the beginning of March as well.

Rest of today – sunny skies belie cold temperatures with highs only hitting the mid-30s today.

Friday – about the same in terms of temperature, but with increasing clouds throughout the day as a warm front approaches from the west. There may be some scattered rain during the overnight hours going into Saturday, although the bulk of this storm system is expected to pass well to the north.

Saturday – much warmer with southwesterly flow behind the warm front referenced above. High temperatures expected to be around 50ºF with mostly sunny skies.

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Sunday – slightly cooler with high temperature in the upper-40s.

Monday – increasing clouds with high temperatures in the mid-upper 40s.

Cooler to End the Month

Looking ahead to next week, temperatures are expected to be just about normal to perhaps a little below, which would mean about 35-40ºF.

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NYC Weather Update – Feb 15, 2016

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After a brief deep freeze, we’ll see a significant change in the weather with a complex storm system that will affect the area to start the week, bringing a mix of precipitation along with much warmer temperatures. Things quiet down by mid-week, and temperatures moderate towards more normal levels.

Rest of today – cloudy with temperatures rising into the low-mid 30s. Flurries have already begun falling in some parts of the city. Snow will become more steady and increase in coverage during the course of the afternoon. For those of you who do not have the day off, it’s shaping up to be a messy commute with snow transitioning to a wintry mix, with periods of freezing rain during the evening commute. Prior to the transition from snow, areas along the coast could pick up 1-2″ of snow, with higher totals in the interior north and west.

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Tuesday – after a brief dip in temperatures early on during the overnight hours, temperatures will actually start increasing as a warm front passes through. Since the ground itself is still quite cold due to the deep freeze this past weekend, freezing rain and wintry mix will still be lingering around until temperatures start to climb well into the mid-upper 30s. At that point, we’ll transition over to all rain, and periods of moderate to heavy rain will likely affect the area Tuesday afternoon into the evening hours as a cold front pushes through. Temperatures will be very warm Tuesday, with highs topping out in the mid-50s – 15-20ºF above normal for this time of year.

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Wednesday – high pressure starts to build back in after the storm system moves out Tuesday. Temperatures cool off back into the mid-40s, with clearing skies.

Thursday – cooler, with high temperature around 40ºF and sunny skies.

 

 

NYC Weather Update – Feb 8, 2016

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The groundhogs may end up being right, and we could get an early spring this year, but winter won’t be relinquishing its grasp this week. Multiple storms will be impacting the area throughout the first half of the week, resulting in multiple rounds of snow up through Wednesday. Luckily for us, this snow is expected to be mostly on the light side for NYC, although areas east of the city could be getting 8-10″ of snow just with today’s storm. So, if you like winter weather, and snow that you don’t have to shovel, this is your week.

Rest of today – snow showers have started falling over the city in the last hour or so. Light accumulations of 2-3″ maximum are expected in the city, with much higher totals as you move east. The city is only going to get brushed by the western fringe of this coastal storm that’s passing, and snow should taper off by 1PM today. In a very similar setup to last week’s storm, areas east of the city will get the bulk of the snow today. Temperatures will be gradually dropping during the day into the low-30s with evaporative

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Tuesday – a second storm system forms offshore of the Mid-Atlantic overnight, and spins up another round of snow for us tomorrow. Snow should start falling after daybreak, with another 1-2″ possible here in the city. High temperatures should top out in the low-30s.

Wednesday – unsettled weather continues Wednesday with the potential for more light snow during the day, although temperatures could be a little warmer in the upper-30s.

Thursday – things finally start calming down with the chances for snow diminishing, though skies will still be cloudy with high temperatures near freezing.

After Thursday, we are expecting a deep freeze with the passage of an Arctic front going into the weekend.

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NYC Weather Update – Feb 02, 2016

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The calendar says it’s February, but you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise with temperatures soaring well into the upper 50s this afternoon. The warm trend continues through the middle of this week, when a potent storm system that will be bringing blizzard conditions to some parts of the Midwest (including Iowa, where caucus turnouts may be adversely impacted) passes through the area. Looking ahead, a cool down is on the way, as is the potential for another coastal storm on the day after the Super Bowl. At this time, thermal profiles are not looking conducive for snow, but as we all saw from the last storm, things could very well change as this storm system evolves.

Rest of today – quite warm, with high temperatures well in the upper 50s under mostly cloudy skies. Periods of light rain look to persist as a cold front makes its way across the area this evening, though it appears most of the precipitation should end by 7PM this evening.

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High Resolution Rapid Refresh model output for 7PM EST

Tuesday – with the cold front passing through tonight, temperatures will moderate tomorrow, dropping into the upper 40s under mostly clear skies.

Wednesday – a complex and potent storm system that will be impacting the Midwest the next couple days will make its way into the region Wednesday. A warm front will pass over our area prior to the passage of a cold front. As we enter the warm sector between these two frontal boundaries, we’ll see a surge of warm air and moisture from the south. This may even lead to a couple isolated rumbles of thunder during the afternoon. Otherwise, expect mostly cloudy skies with showers throughout the afternoon into the evening hours. High temperatures will be quite warm, again approaching 60ºF – and possibly surpassing this mark.

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Thursday – just like tomorrow, once the cold front above pushes through the area, temperatures will again cool off back into the upper 40s (which is still about 10ºF above normal), and skies will clear.

NYC Weekend Weather – Jan 29, 2016

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You’d be forgiven if you didn’t believe that a record-setting Nor’easter blizzard happened less than a week ago. A week of much above average temperatures and warm weather has quickly melted more than half of the snowpack that was left after the blizzard dropped 26.8″ (.1″ short of the all time record) in Central Park, breaking the single day storm total snowfall record with a new high of 26.6″. Except, of course, those huge snow mounds that are trapping your parked car. Warm weather, with high temperatures near or above 50ºF this weekend means that even more of this snow will melt away. Whatever’s left will likely be completely washed away mid-week next week when we’re expected to hit temperatures near 60ºF with thunderstorms possible.

Rest of today – mostly cloudy with a high near 40ºF. A passing rain/snow shower caused by a weak passing disturbance in the upper atmosphere is possible this afternoon around 1PM.

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Saturday – brief clearing caused by an area of high pressure overnight will give way again to increasing clouds with high temperatures around 40ºF again.

Sunday – the high pressure moves quickly off to our east Sunday, allowing for clockwise return flow from the southwest to bring in warmer temperatures in the upper 40s under partly sunny skies.

Monday – warm temperatures continue with highs topping out around 50ºF and partly sunny skies.

 

Cooldown Coming

Don’t get too used to the warm temperatures because after mid-week next week, cold air returns to the Eastern United States for a period.

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Blizzard Brings Drought Relief

One of the best parts about this blizzard was that it brought along some much needed precipitation precisely to areas of the region that most needed it. As you’ll see below, since the blizzard past the area of New York State experiencing moderate drought has decreased from 6.80% to 2.04%, largely because areas of moderate drought in the NYC region and Long Island have gotten slammed with huge amounts of snow that will be replenishing the local watersheds as it melts.

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NYC Weekend Weather – Nor’easter Inbound – Jan 21, 2016

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All eyes turn towards this weekend’s Nor’easter which will bring us the most snow we’ve seen since last winter. Confidence is growing that NYC and points south could receive over a foot of snow by Sunday. In addition, forecasters anticipate that this storm will bring sustained winds of 30mph to coastal areas with gusts as high as 40-60mph leading to whiteout blizzard conditions. However, it is important to not, even at this point, 48 hours from the start of this event, that a good deal of uncertainty remains about these forecast snow totals.

Rest of today – mostly clear with high temperatures reaching into the mid-30s but a northwest wind in the 15mph range making it feel colder.

Friday – slightly cooler with highs in the low-mid 30s, clouds I increasing through the day as the headline storm for the weekend approaches.

Saturday – snow should begin falling from southwest to northeast overnight Friday and continue throughout the day Saturday. Sustained northeast winds 25mph-30mph could lead to drifting and blowing snow, making for hazardous teavel conditions. Some potential exists that enough warmer air wraps into the storm off the Atlantic that some areas see a changeover to a rain/sleet/snow mix in the afternoon before transitioning back to all snow Saturday night. Total daytime accumulations are currently forecast between 3-7″. Overnight accumulations could be in the 4-8″ range.

MinSnowWeb
Minimum snowfall for this Nor’easter
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Most likely snowfall totals
MaxSnowWeb
Maximum snowfall possible with this storm


Sunday – some lingering snow showers are possible Sunday morning but conditions should improve rapidly as cloud cover decreases with the storm exiting to our east. High temperatures are expected to be in the mid-30s.

Monday – warmer with high temperatures in the mid-30s and sunny skies.

Complicating Factors for Forecasting the Nor’easter

  • Model divergence – European models favor a solution that has the storm moving quicker and further south than US based models. This scenario would result in minimal snow for NYC, hence why the minimum snow forecast is only 2″.
  • Unpredictable snow bands – as we are all too aware from last year’s fiasco of subway shutdowns in anticipation for a blizzard that didn’t materialize, when it comes to Nor’easter type storms, where, when, and for how long deformation banding features (heavy bands of snow) set up will make or break a snowfall total forecast in either direction. However, these types of mesoscale banding features are not easy to predict with confidence before they actually start forming. Should parts of our region fall under one of these banding features where snow could be falling at rates of 1″+ per hour, you could easily see total snowfall forecasts be shattered.
  • Intrusion of warm air – if enough warm air works its way into this storm off the warm waters of the Atlantic (where above normal temperatures thus far this winter have kept the sea surface temperatures abnormally warm), then some areas could see a rain/sleet mix for periods of time. Forecasters are overall confident the window for this mixing is small enough that overall totals won’t be dented too much, though.
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The closer this storm center tracks to the 40ºN 70ºW benchmark, the better the chances become for our are to get a lot of snow. Climatologically, Nor’easters that track closest to this benchmark have been the biggest snowmakers for the NYC region.