Chilly air to linger behind snowstorm, increase white Christmas hopes in Northeast
By
Ryan Adamson, AccuWeather meteorologist &
Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Dec 17, 2020 4:21 PM EDT
Forecasters say the snowfall that has piled up and ended the snow drought in many areas of the Northeast will be in no hurry to melt away as more cold days than not are likely to persist into Christmas Day.
"On the heels of the major winter storm burying portions of the Northeast with over 1-2 feet of snow, some exceptionally cold air for mid-December will linger through Friday," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Carl Babinski.
In fact, many areas will have temperatures as low or lower than what is typical in January, which is the coldest month of the year on average.
"High temperatures in most of the bigger cities will be no higher than the lower to middle 30s F into the weekend, and night will bring lows in the 20s. These ranges are about 3-6 degrees below normal for this time of the year, and the natural refrigeration that a fresh snowpack brings will be largely responsible for it," Babinski added.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Since snow and ice are cold, temperatures are often several degrees lower than they would be without any snow or ice. After several days, as the snow on the ground becomes old or starts to melt, there is less of an effect on air temperature.
Even with the cold air, and some places will be above freezing during the day, melting will take place. This will be especially true in any areas where the sun is able to break through the clouds and with the general warmth given off from buildings and extensive paved surfaces in urban areas.
As is often the case in the wake of big snowstorms, areas made wet by melting during the day can become icy toward evening, or at night.
"This clear, or black ice as it is often called, can be difficult to see," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
The water can freeze in some areas, but not others, which can add to the danger.
"Road crews and property owners will need to stay vigilant and may need to apply ice-melting and anti-slip materials on a daily basis to keep streets, sidewalks and parking lots safe for vehicles and pedestrians," Sosnowski said.
Temperatures will be slow to moderate across the region this weekend, with many areas expected to remain in the 30s for highs.
As a weak storm system moves into the area and clashes with the cold air in place, there may be some light snow that overspreads the Ohio Valley and Northeast Saturday night through Sunday. Any snowfall will be a nuisance by that point compared to the burying snow from the nor’easter. Still, there can be a fresh slippery coating to few inches on roads and sidewalks, and the snow may conceal any areas of black ice.
"Overall, a chillier pattern looks to last until Christmas, so any locales that have gotten around a foot or more of snow, it could be enough to last until Christmas,” AccuWeather Long-Range Meteorologist Tyler Roys said.
In order to garner the official meteorological declaration of a white Christmas, at least 1 inch of snow must be on the ground.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Winter Weather
Chilly air to linger behind snowstorm, increase white Christmas hopes in Northeast
By Ryan Adamson, AccuWeather meteorologist & Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Dec 17, 2020 4:21 PM EDT
Forecasters say the snowfall that has piled up and ended the snow drought in many areas of the Northeast will be in no hurry to melt away as more cold days than not are likely to persist into Christmas Day.
"On the heels of the major winter storm burying portions of the Northeast with over 1-2 feet of snow, some exceptionally cold air for mid-December will linger through Friday," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Carl Babinski.
In fact, many areas will have temperatures as low or lower than what is typical in January, which is the coldest month of the year on average.
"High temperatures in most of the bigger cities will be no higher than the lower to middle 30s F into the weekend, and night will bring lows in the 20s. These ranges are about 3-6 degrees below normal for this time of the year, and the natural refrigeration that a fresh snowpack brings will be largely responsible for it," Babinski added.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Since snow and ice are cold, temperatures are often several degrees lower than they would be without any snow or ice. After several days, as the snow on the ground becomes old or starts to melt, there is less of an effect on air temperature.
Even with the cold air, and some places will be above freezing during the day, melting will take place. This will be especially true in any areas where the sun is able to break through the clouds and with the general warmth given off from buildings and extensive paved surfaces in urban areas.
As is often the case in the wake of big snowstorms, areas made wet by melting during the day can become icy toward evening, or at night.
"This clear, or black ice as it is often called, can be difficult to see," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
The water can freeze in some areas, but not others, which can add to the danger.
"Road crews and property owners will need to stay vigilant and may need to apply ice-melting and anti-slip materials on a daily basis to keep streets, sidewalks and parking lots safe for vehicles and pedestrians," Sosnowski said.
Temperatures will be slow to moderate across the region this weekend, with many areas expected to remain in the 30s for highs.
As a weak storm system moves into the area and clashes with the cold air in place, there may be some light snow that overspreads the Ohio Valley and Northeast Saturday night through Sunday. Any snowfall will be a nuisance by that point compared to the burying snow from the nor’easter. Still, there can be a fresh slippery coating to few inches on roads and sidewalks, and the snow may conceal any areas of black ice.
"Overall, a chillier pattern looks to last until Christmas, so any locales that have gotten around a foot or more of snow, it could be enough to last until Christmas,” AccuWeather Long-Range Meteorologist Tyler Roys said.
In order to garner the official meteorological declaration of a white Christmas, at least 1 inch of snow must be on the ground.
Related:
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo