Northeastern US to experience drastic temperature swing late this week
By Renee Duff, AccuWeather meteorologist
January 11, 2018, 3:48:11 AM EST
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Fresh on the heels of one of the coldest starts to January on record, the northeastern United States will briefly thaw out late this week.
The warmest air in several weeks will spread into the Northeast by the end of the week, according to AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok.
Compared to their lowest point over the past weekend, temperatures will be 50-65 degrees Fahrenheit higher at their peak on Thursday and Friday.
On Thursday, high temperatures will climb into the 50s and 60s F across the Ohio Valley, with widespread 40s in store across the Northeast.
On Friday, the warmest air will shift to the Northeast’s Interstate-95 corridor. Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., will all likely hit the 60s F, while New York City will come close to this mark.
“High temperatures will be 10-20 degrees above normal,” Pastelok said.
The less brutal conditions will be a welcome relief for residents who have dealt with high heating bills, frozen pipes and car battery issues during the latest cold spell.
However, those hoping to get outside to take advantage of the milder conditions will be disappointed.
“This will not be a dry warmup,” Pastelok said.
A patch of light rain may sweep through the eastern Great Lakes, central Appalachians and New England on Wednesday night prior to the late-week warm surge.
“Roads and sidewalks may still be cold enough for the rain to freeze and turn untreated surfaces icy,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.
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A late-week storm is then expected to unleash significant rain, ice and snow.
This storm will mark the end of the warm surge.
Frigid start to 2018
The magnitude of the frigid air during the first week of 2018 will make the impending warmup all that more noticeable.
Over 2,000 record low-maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded across the country during the first seven days of the month, according to climate data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A majority of these occurred in the Midwest, Northeast and Southeast.
On Sunday morning, Jan. 8, Boston tied an 1896 low-temperature record of minus 2.
Last week, the weather at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, echoed the normal climate for Juneau, Alaska, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center.
Besides #Pittsburgh, this was also the coldest 1st 7 days to start January at #Morgantown, #Zanesville, New Philadelphia, and #Wheeling #wvwx #ohwx
— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) January 8, 2018
A few cities experienced their coldest first week of January ever recorded.
The extreme cold took its toll on the region, leading to water main breaks, including at John F. Kennedy International Airport, frozen pipes and a number of fatalities.
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