Cooler Weather Returns to the East Next Week

Quincy Vagell
Published: December 26,2015
After record warmth dominated much of the East through the majority of December, it appears that cooler air will return to the region to wrap up the month.
December 2015 is on track to be the warmest December on record at many stations across the Great Lakes, Midwest and Northeast, southward toward the Gulf Coast and Florida. On Thursday, locations such as Burlington, Vermont and Richmond, Virginia not only experienced their warmest Christmas Eve on record, but also all-time record highs for the entire month of December.
(MORE: Record December Warmth Continues)
The warmth has been especially hard on ski resorts around New England, where a lack of both snow and cold temperatures has led to a very slow start to the ski season. In Upstate New York, Buffalo did not observe their first measurable snowfall until Dec. 18, shattering the prior record for a late, first snowfall of the season of Dec. 3, 1899.
(MORE: Buffalo Finally Sees Measurable Snow)
Winter Storm Goliath may be the spark that sets off a pattern change across eastern portions of the Lower 48. Not only will the storm bring snow to parts of the Northeast, but in its wake, a return to more typical early winter temperatures is expected.

Forecast Pattern Late Next Week

What to Expect Next Week

To start the week, warmth prevails across most of the East, but a frontal boundary draped from the Lower Great Lakes into the Northeast will keep areas to its north on the cool side.
Low pressure associated with Winter Storm Goliath will churn into the Lower to Middle Mississippi Valley, bringing snow to the central Plains and an icy mixture of precipitation over parts of the Midwest. That wintry weather will gradually spread into the Great Lakes, New York and New England later Monday.

Monday's Forecast

By Tuesday, chilly air remains locked in over the Northeast, bringing locally heavy snow to portions of Upstate New York and interior New England. Areas as far south as Pennsylvania may experience some ice and snow.
Farther south, a cold front will swing from the Appalachians to the East Coast, bringing showers and gradually cooler temperatures from the central Appalachians to the Middle Atlantic coast.
By the middle and latter portion of next week, a series of frontal systems will accompany a larger-scale pattern change across the East. New Year’s Day is next Friday and based on the current forecasts, much of the East may start 2016 with temperatures close to average for this time of the year.

Forecast Next Week

For contrast, temperatures in the 60s and 70s leading up to Christmas across the Northeast will be replaced by 30s and 40s for most of next week. Locations close to the Canadian border may not get out of the 20s for a few days. Over the Middle Atlantic region, after some spots reached the 80s on Christmas Eve, expect highs mainly in the 50s for much of the coming week.
Details regarding the extent of the cool air and how long it may last are still to be determined, so check back to weather.com through the coming days for updated information.
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