Season's First Snow From Northern Michigan to Interior Northeast; Coldest Air Mass of Season Continues Into Monday

Quincy Vagell
Published: October 18,2015




 

The coldest air mass of the season so far has swept from the Midwest into parts of the East, with widespread frost and freeze conditions and even the first snow of the season for some. 

(PHOTOS: First Snow of the Season in the Great Lakes, Northeast)

Accumulating snow fell this weekend, especially near the Great Lakes on Saturday. Flurries were widespread across the Northeast on Sunday.

Chilly temperatures will linger into Monday across much of the East, however milder air will return in the new week ahead.

(MORE: Waterspouts spawned over the Great Lakes)

Above: Video sent to us from Todd Anderson in Petoskey, Michigan, Saturday.

Chilly Blast to Bring Frost and Freeze Condition

Lows dipped to freezing or below (32 degrees) Sunday morning as far south as Tennessee and North Carolina, though not every location in those states saw a freeze. A few spots in the north Georgia mountains also recorded a freeze.
(MAPS: 10-day forecast highs/lows)
Freeze watches, warnings and frost advisories are posted for Sunday night and Monday morning from the Tennessee Valley to North Carolina, the mid-Atlantic, central Appalachians, portions of Long Island and coastal parts of southern New England.

Frost and Freeze Alerts

Here is a breakdown of what has happened and what can be expected (click the city name for the latest 10-day forecast):

• Minneapolis/St. Paul: The first official freeze was reported Saturday morning. Temperatures will turn milder to start this week.
• Chicago: The suburbs had a freeze Saturday and Sunday morning, while O'Hare fell to 33 degrees. Temperatures stayed in the 50s on Sunday.
• Cincinnati: First official freeze and first 20s of the season recorded on Sunday morning. Temperatures were only in the 50s again on Sunday. Lows will dip in the 30s once again Monday morning, then temperatures will moderate.
• Cleveland: Temperatures did not climb out of the 40s on Sunday. First 30s of the season were reported Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
• Boston: Could threaten coldest high temperature on record for Oct. 18 of 45 degrees on Sunday. First official freeze of the season at Logan International possible Monday morning.
• New York City: Highs in the 50s continue through Monday, with early morning lows dipping into the 30s, especially away from the metro area. Temperatures will be milder starting Tuesday.
• Raleigh: Saw first 30s of the season Saturday and Sunday morning. Lows in the 30s expected once again on Monday morning. 

(MAPS: 10-day forecast highs/lows)

Forecast Morning Lows

Interior Northeast/Northern Great Lakes Snow

Saturday morning, an observer near Darragh, Michigan, measured 5.7 inches of snow. 

The city of Marquette picked up 2.5 inches of snow, the first time the city had seen at least two inches of snow in any single October day in 14 years, according to the National Weather Service.

Snow was reported once again in northern Michigan on Sunday morning, and to the southeast of Lake Erie in northwest Pennsylvania and southwest New York. Some higher terrain areas of Erie County and Crawford County, Pennsylvania, had picked up 4-5 inches of snow as of late Sunday morning.

Up to 9 inches of snow was measured in Oswego County, New York, in the towns of Mexico and Parish from a narrow band of lake-effect snow streaming off of Lake Ontario.
Flurries were reported across New England on Sunday afternoon, as well as parts of Pennsylvania and New York, including Long Island. A trace of snow was reported in Albany, New York as well as Bridgeport, Connecticut on Sunday.

Meteorologists Chris Dolce and Jonathan Erdman contributed to this article.
MORE: California's 2015 Snow Drought