Northeast Frost, Freeze Friday Night

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

October 8, 2012; 7:38PM,EDT

 

 

 

Another chunk of cold air and the potential for a killing frost and freeze is aiming for the United States and southern Canada.
This particular batch of air will aim more to the east, rather than to the south.
The rather round-shaped area of cold air and conditions capable of producing near- or below-freezing temperatures closest to the ground will have its maximum effect Friday night into Saturday morning. The cold push will follow a couple of potential snow events along the U.S./Canada border.
This time, the risk of garden-ruining temperatures could reach the northern and western suburbs of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston, as well as some of the normally colder spots south and east of these cities.
 
This could be the end of days for annual flowers, peppers and tomato plants for many areas in the Northeast this season. Temperatures may dip as low as the teens across portions of southern Ontario and Quebec and the 20s over the interior northeastern United States Friday night/Saturday morning.
The most recent push of cold air centered over the Plains and Midwest.
 
This low temperature map, a product of the National Weather Service, shows the lowest 12-hour temperatures as of 8:00 a.m. EDT, Monday, Oct. 8, 2012. According to Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams, the 31-degree reading in Oklahoma City, Okla., was the lowest on record for so early in the season. Records in Oklahoma City date back to 1891.
The frost/freeze was nullified by a series of weak storms running northeastward along the Atlantic coast. While the storms made for chilly daytime temperatures and a a cold rain, cloud cover from these storms prevented temperatures from dropping off substantially at night.