Chilly pattern tightens grip on Northeast ahead of potential storm
Record-setting snow and frosty scenes looked more reminiscent of mid-winter — and AccuWeather forecasters are already eyeing up the next storm system for potential trouble.
By
Nicole LoBiondo, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Nov 3, 2021 1:50 PM EDT
|
Updated Nov 5, 2021 10:10 AM EDT
A pattern change ushered in wintry scenes around parts of the Great Lakes and Northeast just in time for the first week of November. Temperatures tumbled and caused the first frost and freeze of the season in parts of the interior Northeast Tuesday into Wednesday morning, and it looked more like the depths of winter for some areas around the Great Lakes, where hefty lake-effect snow piled up.
Amounts topped 11 inches in northern parts of Lower Michigan. Gaylord, Michigan, picked up 11.7 inches of snow Tuesday, which set a record for the heaviest snowfall in a calendar day in November. That amount also ranked as the sixth highest single-day snowfall in any month. Records have been kept at that National Weather Service site since 1998 — and a tweet the office shared showed a quintessential “winter wonderland.”
Many felt the breath of winter Tuesday night into Wednesday morning with frosty scenes on their lawns as temperatures dipped down into the low 20s to mid-30s as far south as northern Tennessee, weeks later than average in some areas.
Giant snowflakes fell in front of the NWS office in Gaylord, Michigan, on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, providing a "winter wonderland" scene. (Twitter / NWS)
Temperatures plummeted to the upper 20s in cities such as Pittsburgh Wednesday morning. Afternoon high temperatures in the Steel City on Friday may only reach the upper 40s, and the overnight low temperatures will again tumble into the upper 20s into the start of the weekend.
Some areas as far south as Mount Mitchell in North Carolina picked up snowfall Wednesday night, where a general coating to an inch or two of slushy snow accumulated on non-paved surfaces.
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The major roads where some snow had fallen from the Great Lakes to Mount Mitchell remained mainly wet, but some instances of slushy and slippery conditions became a concern over ridges and secondary roads where there was little direct sunlight during the day.
As high pressure continues to build across the Northeast Friday, the threat will wane for any additional snow or rain showers around the Great Lakes.
Temperatures are expected to rebound Saturday across the Northeast as high pressure moves offshore, allowing for a southerly wind to usher in milder air. Cities such as Washington, D.C., and Baltimore will see temperatures rise from the low 50s on Friday to near 60 by the weekend. Normal highs for early November are right around 62 F in both cities.
Dry conditions will persist into the weekend in the Northeast, but AccuWeather meteorologists are keeping a close eye on the next weather system that could strike the area late this weekend into early next week.
"The storm is expected to organize over the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Friday where the counterclockwise circulation around the storm will draw very moist air northward through Florida causing periods of heavy rainfall, especially from central Florida to northeast Florida Friday through Friday night," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson explained.
The storm is expected to track northeastward, just missing the Northeast coast. The storm will cause the rainy and windy weather that occurred across the Southeast on Thursday to track eastward from Florida to the Outer Banks into this weekend, but the Northeast will miss out on stormy conditions this weekend into early next week as the storm tracks out to sea.
It's possible the storm could strengthen rapidly enough to become a bomb cyclone. Meteorologists define a bomb cyclone as a storm that undergoes a central pressure drop of 0.71 of an inch of mercury (1 millibar) within 24 hours. The Northeast is no stranger to this type of intense storm as a late-October nor'easter met the criteria and blasted New England with humungous waves and torrential rainfall.
Whether the storm tracks close to the East Coast or moves out to sea, there will be gusty, onshore winds, rough surf, minor coastal flooding, and beach erosion threats for many communities from Jacksonville, Florida, to Portland, Maine, this weekend into early next week.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Winter Weather
Chilly pattern tightens grip on Northeast ahead of potential storm
Record-setting snow and frosty scenes looked more reminiscent of mid-winter — and AccuWeather forecasters are already eyeing up the next storm system for potential trouble.
By Nicole LoBiondo, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Nov 3, 2021 1:50 PM EDT | Updated Nov 5, 2021 10:10 AM EDT
A pattern change ushered in wintry scenes around parts of the Great Lakes and Northeast just in time for the first week of November. Temperatures tumbled and caused the first frost and freeze of the season in parts of the interior Northeast Tuesday into Wednesday morning, and it looked more like the depths of winter for some areas around the Great Lakes, where hefty lake-effect snow piled up.
Amounts topped 11 inches in northern parts of Lower Michigan. Gaylord, Michigan, picked up 11.7 inches of snow Tuesday, which set a record for the heaviest snowfall in a calendar day in November. That amount also ranked as the sixth highest single-day snowfall in any month. Records have been kept at that National Weather Service site since 1998 — and a tweet the office shared showed a quintessential “winter wonderland.”
Many felt the breath of winter Tuesday night into Wednesday morning with frosty scenes on their lawns as temperatures dipped down into the low 20s to mid-30s as far south as northern Tennessee, weeks later than average in some areas.
Giant snowflakes fell in front of the NWS office in Gaylord, Michigan, on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, providing a "winter wonderland" scene. (Twitter / NWS)
Temperatures plummeted to the upper 20s in cities such as Pittsburgh Wednesday morning. Afternoon high temperatures in the Steel City on Friday may only reach the upper 40s, and the overnight low temperatures will again tumble into the upper 20s into the start of the weekend.
Some areas as far south as Mount Mitchell in North Carolina picked up snowfall Wednesday night, where a general coating to an inch or two of slushy snow accumulated on non-paved surfaces.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The major roads where some snow had fallen from the Great Lakes to Mount Mitchell remained mainly wet, but some instances of slushy and slippery conditions became a concern over ridges and secondary roads where there was little direct sunlight during the day.
As high pressure continues to build across the Northeast Friday, the threat will wane for any additional snow or rain showers around the Great Lakes.
Temperatures are expected to rebound Saturday across the Northeast as high pressure moves offshore, allowing for a southerly wind to usher in milder air. Cities such as Washington, D.C., and Baltimore will see temperatures rise from the low 50s on Friday to near 60 by the weekend. Normal highs for early November are right around 62 F in both cities.
Dry conditions will persist into the weekend in the Northeast, but AccuWeather meteorologists are keeping a close eye on the next weather system that could strike the area late this weekend into early next week.
"The storm is expected to organize over the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Friday where the counterclockwise circulation around the storm will draw very moist air northward through Florida causing periods of heavy rainfall, especially from central Florida to northeast Florida Friday through Friday night," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson explained.
The storm is expected to track northeastward, just missing the Northeast coast. The storm will cause the rainy and windy weather that occurred across the Southeast on Thursday to track eastward from Florida to the Outer Banks into this weekend, but the Northeast will miss out on stormy conditions this weekend into early next week as the storm tracks out to sea.
It's possible the storm could strengthen rapidly enough to become a bomb cyclone. Meteorologists define a bomb cyclone as a storm that undergoes a central pressure drop of 0.71 of an inch of mercury (1 millibar) within 24 hours. The Northeast is no stranger to this type of intense storm as a late-October nor'easter met the criteria and blasted New England with humungous waves and torrential rainfall.
Whether the storm tracks close to the East Coast or moves out to sea, there will be gusty, onshore winds, rough surf, minor coastal flooding, and beach erosion threats for many communities from Jacksonville, Florida, to Portland, Maine, this weekend into early next week.
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For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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