How cold is it this month? -According to Accuweather it is shaping up to be in the top 10 of most frigid decembers since the 1800s. Hey Martha, will you turn up that gas furnace, I'm tired of freezing my ass off!
>AccuWeather.com is forecasting another week of unseasonably cold weather, with the potential for another major snowstorm developing on Wednesday.
The bitterly cold weather in the eastern half of the nation is due to a large trough in the jet stream that is keeping arctic air locked in the Northeast, and northerly winds are going to drop the thermometer even lower, with temperatures forecast to dip into single digits overnight tonight.
The jet stream's trough is going to plunge into the Deep South tonight, keeping daytime highs 5 to 10 degrees below normal, and bringing the risk of overnight frost to regions of South Carolina, Georgia and northern Florida.
Expert Sr. Meteorologist Joe Bastardi says "the current look and pace may bring December 2005 in as a top 10 month for cold Decembers nationwide since the late 1800's." Some examples of the temperature departures for the first 10 days of the month include:
Omaha, NE -- 17.5 degrees below normal
Indianapolis, IN -- 14.1 degrees below normal
Chicago, IL -- 13.9 degrees below normal
Denver, CO -- 11.9 degrees below normal
The cold is widespread -- below-normal temperatures have been recorded from eastern Washington and Oregon south into Texas and up to the Northeast.
Snow showers will pop up across the Midwest today, and westerly winds will spawn more lake-effect snow to the lee of the Great Lakes. More snow is on the way for the latter half of the workweek, but it will not be as widespread as last week's storm that created travel chaos from Texas to New England.
Meteorologist Jon Mabry says a split jet stream will propel a pair of storm systems across the nation. The southern jet will send warm, moist air north where it will collide with the cold air already in place. AccuWeather.com is forecasting that from Wednesday through Friday 1 to 3 inches of snow will have fallen from the Upper Midwest across the Great Lakes states and into New England, with the potential for up to 6 inches in some areas.
As you travel farther south you will experience a mix of snow, ice and rain across the Appalachians and into North Carolina's Piedmont region, with rain from the mid-Atlantic states to the Gulf Coast. Some areas in the south could receive heavy rain that could lead to localized flooding. Travelers should be prepared for the possibility of adverse travel conditions across the eastern half of the nation.
The AccuWeather.com Winter Weather Center team is forecasting a good chance for a White Christmas, with the potential for a pre-Christmas blizzard developing from Texas to the Northeast during the early half of next week.<
