Colder Weather Returns to the East Heading Into 2016

Quincy Vagell
Published: January 1,2016
After record warmth dominated much of the East through the majority of December, colder air is gradually returning to the region to wrap up the month and start the new year.
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)
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 its first measurable snowfall until Dec. 18, shattering the prior record for a season's latest first snowfall set Dec. 3, 1899.
(MORE: Buffalo Finally Sees Measurable Snow)
Winter Storm Goliath was the spark that is setting off a pattern change across eastern portions of the Lower 48. Not only has the storm brought snow and ice to parts of the Northeast, but in its wake, a return to more typical early winter temperatures is expected.

Forecast Pattern Late This Week

What to Expect Through Early Next Week

Gradually cooler air has been progressing east across the Lower 48. Much of the East should start the first few days of 2016 with temperatures only slighltly above average, falling to near average in some locations by Sunday.
Even Florida will start to cool off, thanks to a series of frontal systems accompanying a larger-scale pattern change across the East.
As the next shot of cooler dives south across the eastern states by Monday and Tuesday, the first notably cooler-than-average readings for much of the region since November can be expected.

Forecast This Week

By contrast, the temperatures in the 60s and 70s we saw leading up to Christmas across the Northeast will be replaced by 30s and 40s into the weekend, followed by 20s to low 30s next week. Locations close to the Canadian border may not get out of the teens by early in the coming week.
Over the Middle Atlantic region, after some spots reached the 80s on Christmas Eve, expect highs in the 40s over the weekend to give way to 30s by Monday and Tuesday.
Most of the South will see highs return to 40s and 50s as cooler air spreads through the region in the week ahead from the northwest to the southeast. Even Florida will cool down with highs in the 60s in central Florida and 70s in south Florida this weekend.

Forecast Highs Compared to Average

Most of the nation will be colder than average to start the first full week of January. However, a warming trend is expected later in the week mainly east of the Mississippi River, but not to the extent of December's exceptional warmth.
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