Snowy Winter Could Follow Cool June for the Northeast
7/8/2009 11:02 AM
By Alex
Sosnowski
AccuWeather.com
While far from the coolest summer
on record in
the Northeast, the cool conditions
could be followed by a
snowy winter for parts of the region.
New York City has not hit 85 degrees in June or so far in
July for that matter. A lack of 85-degree weather in June has happened in the past, but not since the World War I era. Records show that the during
summers of 1886-87, 1903-04 and 1916-17 the temperature failed to hit 85 degrees in the city.
(AP Photo / Tony Talbot)
Interestingly, the winters following these summers brought above-average snowfall to the city. Average annual snowfall for New York is 28.4 inches.
These years brought 32.6 inches, 32.2 inches and 50.7 inches respectively.
This past winter brought close to average snowfall to the Big Apple with 27.6 inches. The most recent year for above-average snowfall was in
2005-2006, when 40.0 inches fell.
Weather, of course, varies over distance. While New York City could be heading for a snowier-than-average winter, this does not necessarily mean
every location in the Northeast will follow suit.
A developing El Niño could have more profound impact on the Northeast and other parts of the nation. Perhaps much more so than the current
solar cycle. Since El Niño can be strong, moderate or weak, the effects of such can be different as well.
While the temperature has generally been lower than average farther south in the
mid-Atlantic, it has been less extreme than that of portions of
New England. Temperature departures for
Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh, Washington and
Baltimore have been about 1 degree below average since June 1.
It has been a bit warmer than average in
southern Virginia.
New England has borne the brunt of the cool and
wet conditions. The average temperature in
Portland, Maine, has been lower than that of Fairbanks, Alaska,
since June 1. Parts of
New England have also had 3 times their normal
rainfall for the same period.
Where there has been less frequent rain, generally from central and
southern
Pennsylvania south and west, the cooler weather has been ideal for golfing, more strenuous forms of exercise and manual labor. The barrage of
rain in areas farther north and east, including much of southeastern Canada, has been disruptive and has construction projects running behind.
Over the next several weeks,
the Northeast can
look forward to more frequent episodes of warmer, more summery weather. However, the overall pattern will continue to favor intrusions of cool air
from Canada, preceded and accompanied by showers and thunderstorms. Unfortunately, another such stormy episode is forecast this weekend.
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