Comet Over a Coastline

Tuesday 10 a.m.

A cold front approaching the East Coast separates mild, moist air to the east from colder, slightly drier air to the west. Buffalo's temperature passed the 60-degree mark Sunday and yesterday but will fail to get above freezing this Thursday.

A fast-moving clipper from the northwest may spread snow across the upper Great Lakes and perhaps into central and northern New England between late Friday and Saturday. As a warm front ahead of the low pressure area moves northward, it will be milder Friday In Chicago and perhaps in D.C. and Philadelphia on Saturday.

Cold air should return southward behind the low, but the cold front leading the way may stall before getting south of Virginia. A low pressure area could then form along the front to send snow or rain into the area between NYC and D.C. late Sunday into early Monday.

Then, a larger storm is likely to develop in the Plains. The Sunday night run of the European model showed that storm heading to the Middle Atlantic coast late Tuesday or Wednesday. I included a map of that on my video yesterday. However, last night's run took the storm toward the Great Lakes. That would mean a much warmer storm for the Middle Atlantic states and perhaps New England. Such a storm could bring substantial snow to the western and perhaps central Great Lakes regions while spawning thunderstorms in the warm air on its south side. Here is the video I made this morning:

The Pan-STARRS comet has recently become visible without binoculars or a telescope low in the sky around sunset. Tonight it will appear in the same neighborhood near the thin sliver of the recently new moon. However, with cloudiness likely to block the view for much of the northeast third of the country, what is a comet watcher to do? In an effort to cheer you up, I made an exclusive photograph called "Comet over a Coastline." I think you will agree it quite visible in this picture: