By Brett Rathbun, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist
December 16,2015; 11:13PM,EST
The coldest air of the month will build across the Midwest and northeastern United States and will produce lake-effect snow late this week and into the weekend.
This shot of cold air will be a shock for many as temperatures have been well above average for most days since the beginning of November.
Coldest Air of the Season So Far This Weekend
The jet stream will finally dip southward later this week, opening the door for colder air to build in from Canada.
"This will be a sharp contrast in air masses compared to the mild conditions over the last several days," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Rinde said.
The jet stream is a zone of strong winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere that tends to separate the cold air to the north and the warm air to the south.
JUMP TO: Cold Air Builds Across Midwest, Eastern US| Lake-Effect Snow to Blanket Great Lakes | Wintry Visit to be Brief
Cold Air Builds Across Midwest, Eastern US
"After a very mild start to December, temperatures more typical of this time of year will be felt across the Midwest and Northeast Thursday into Saturday," AccuWeather Meteorologist Ryan Adamson said.
While this shot of air will feel cold for many, temperatures will actually be near or slightly below normal for this time of year.
Cold winds will cause AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures® to be in the teens and 20s across much of the region on Friday and Saturday.
"The core of the cold will focus on the Upper Midwest with temperatures likely to be held at or below freezing for at least two consecutive days from Chicago to Minneapolis and Fargo, North Dakota," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Krissy Pydynowski said. "For the latter city, temperatures may not climb out of the teens."
The coldest air will not reach the Interstate-95 corridor until Saturday.
Anyone heading to the local malls on the final weekend before Christmas will need to bundle up as you head outdoors.
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Lake-Effect Snow to Blanket Great Lakes
Cold air moving over the unusually warm waters of the Great Lakes will generate bands of lake-effect snow on Friday into Saturday night.
The most organized bands of snow will form off the upper lakes of Superior and Michigan into Friday night and across lakes Huron, Erie and Ontario on Saturday into Saturday night.
Snow bands will be mainly oriented from west to east off the lakes. For the majority of the event, the bands will be outside some of the major cities of upstate New York including Buffalo, Syracuse and Watertown.
"The highest snowfall totals will fall downwind of lakes Erie and Ontario," Adamson said.
Snowfall totals across the Tug Hill Plateau in upstate New York could receive between 1 to 2 feet of snow by Sunday.
"Off of Lake Erie, Jamestown, New York, could see over a foot of snow by the time the snow ends on Sunday morning," Adamson said.
Travel will become dangerous across portions of interstates 196, 81, 86, 90, 94 and 96.
Those hoping to snowmobile or ski will have a day or two to enjoy the packed powder where the snow falls before a warmup will melt much if not all of the snow during next week.
Outside of any heavy snow band, snow showers and flurries will occur across most areas around the Great Lakes as well as the Appalachians. Snowflakes may be seen across Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo, New York.
Buffalo will have the chance of receiving its first measurable snowfall of the season this weekend. Meanwhile, the record for latest date of the first 0.1 of an inch of snow continues to be stretched later and later.
Wintry Visit to be Brief
The cold air visit will be short-lived as a return to near-record warmth is in store next week, ahead of the first official day of winter, Dec. 22.
"Temperatures will moderate back to near-record levels by Christmas," Adamson said. "The mild air next week combined with rain should melt all of the lake-effect snow that falls this weekend."
Storms forecast to take aim on the region next week will bring rain and not snow to the vast majority of the East.
David Colantuono ·
Works at Unemployed
I know, I know.
"Quit complaining about the warm weather. It's better than brutally cold weather."
Maybe to you, but not to me, it isn't.
It can be warm in Spring and Summer, even though I hate warm weather at any time of the year. Why can't it be cold in Autumn and Winter? Two warm seasons, two cold seasons. Is that too much to ask?
"Quit complaining about the warm weather. It's better than brutally cold weather."
Maybe to you, but not to me, it isn't.
It can be warm in Spring and Summer, even though I hate warm weather at any time of the year. Why can't it be cold in Autumn and Winter? Two warm seasons, two cold seasons. Is that too much to ask?
David Colantuono ·
Works at Unemployed
Don't let the title fool any of you.
"Coldest Air of December..."
It's only going to be about seasonable around here where I live and there won't be any snow at all. Plus, it'll be very brief so I'll only have two or three days where I won't need to run the A/C or watch out for bugs trying to get into my food.
People are so spoiled by the warm weather. Up until the 2013/2014 Winter, Winters were pretty much abnormally warm (with only very few cold shots) ever since the 21st century began. The 2013/2014 Winter was a nice change of pace and it brought back memories of Winters I remember fr...See More
"Coldest Air of December..."
It's only going to be about seasonable around here where I live and there won't be any snow at all. Plus, it'll be very brief so I'll only have two or three days where I won't need to run the A/C or watch out for bugs trying to get into my food.
People are so spoiled by the warm weather. Up until the 2013/2014 Winter, Winters were pretty much abnormally warm (with only very few cold shots) ever since the 21st century began. The 2013/2014 Winter was a nice change of pace and it brought back memories of Winters I remember fr...See More
Jesse Forget ·
Works at Health Canada
I
wish that some of that lake-effect could make it as far east as Ottawa
(even if it is just a few centimeters), still not even 1 cm received
this season, this is getting ridiculus.
Kurt Stephenson
there might be some next week with the storm after the front moves thru.
Jo Peterson
I hope it hits 80 in January and 90 by March.
Cory Morrison ·
I wonder how significant these squalls in Southern Ontario will be.
Gregg Symonds ·
I'm
willing to ....go with ... unsignificant ....if thats a word. Here in
the Ottawa Valley ....the green lawns remain that way. Next week
should be a shocker ... tee shirts and jeans for Christmas ..and thats
for outside ... but the weather folk will have their way in Canada
... whats that phrase they use .. oh yah ... "its not uncommon for
this time of the year" ...they should ditch that one... they use it
at every opportunity.
Kurt Stephenson
Gregg
Symonds lol...sometimes when "not uncommon" things keep happening day
after day, it becomes uncommon. Just like if you were to get 6 inches of
snow. Not uncommon, but if that happened every day for a month, that
would be uncommon.
This
near record-warmth needs to take a hike and go bother the West coast. I
refuse to accept a brief cold spell, I demand a very long one that
lasts at least 15 days. Few people in the East are enjoying this
abnormal warmth. Ideal pattern = High and dry in the West and cold in
the East. The Northwest US has already received enough rain for at least
2-3 weeks.
Karen Rene Christie Hilyer ·
Local
weather man states 70s are over after this "strong" cold front tomorrow
and for the weekend. Then, in the next breath, it's going to warm back
up for Christmas, back to the 70s. This is getting ridiculous. I want
the cold to get here and stay here, also. I mean, it's December already
and half way through December on top of that.
Bill Ross ·
No,
this is payback for the last 2 brutally cold winters in the east. plus
2014 a year with no summer. the western US needs the rain badly,
especially California. They have been so hot for so long that its time
they get some cooler and most weather and the long-suffering east
deserves some warmth for a change.
Kurt Stephenson
few people are enjoying it? Have you taken a poll on that?
Bill Ross,plus I'm currently unemployed so I can use a break on something like lower heating costs this winter.
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