Colder East Kicking Off 2016 Erases Record Warm December

Quincy Vagell
Published: January 2,2016
After record warmth dominated much of the East through the majority of December, a plunge of Arctic air will have much of the region shivering early in the first full week of January.
December 2015 was the warmest December on record at many stations across the Great Lakes, Midwest and Northeast, southward toward the Gulf Coast and Florida. Just over a week ago, 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)
But the honeymoon from winter is ending. Let's lay out the details of this colder forecast in the week ahead.

Jet stream pattern early in the week ushering in a blast of colder air in the East.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Cold, Brief Blast

The Arctic cold front plunges into the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and Northeast from Saturday night into Sunday. Some mainly light snow may accompany the front from northern New England to the Arrowhead of Minnesota.
By Monday, highs will range from 10 to 20 degrees colder than early January averages from New England to the eastern Great Lakes.
Single-digit highs will keep northern New England and Upstate New York shivering. Teens are possible in the eastern and northern Great Lakes, while 20s are all that will be managed from southern New England into parts of the Ohio Valley and Upper Midwest. Thirties for highs are expected from New York City to Washington, D.C.

Forecast This Week

The chill will hang in the East, Tuesday with highs generally from 5 to 15 degrees below average from New England to Florida.
(MAPS: 10-day Forecast)
Speaking of the Sunshine State, after sweating through a record hot December, Floridians will experience a breath of fresh, cooler air from this cold front, more typical of this time of year.
Highs Monday and Tuesday should range from the 50s or low 60s in north Florida, to the upper 60s in central Florida, to the upper 60s or low 70s in South Florida. Miami last daily high in the 60s was February 20.

Forecast Highs Compared to Average

The coldest morning appears to be Tuesday morning, where some subzero lows are possible in northern New England, single digits may penetrate into the rest of New England, including Boston and Hartford, and teens could penetrate as far south as parts of piedmont of North Carolina.
(MAPS: 10-day Forecast)
This cold blast will be short-lived, as a warming trend is expected during the latter half of the week mainly east of the Mississippi River.
However, extended forecast guidance strongly suggests a more potent, expansive blast of cold air will arrive starting next weekend, lingering into the following week.
(MORE: January-March Outlook)
Welcome to January.
MORE: Myths About the Cold