World and Nation

(Un)Comfortably Numb

(Un)Comfortably Numb

Arctic air will continue to be the rule for the next several days, making this the coldest week so far of the winter. Invasions of cold, dry air from the north are an inevitable result of the radiation deficit at high latitudes this time of year, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I find everything to be uncomfortable after an Arctic front blows through, whether I’m freezing outside or sitting in the extreme low humidity of a heated building. Thankfully the air masses don’t usually last more than a few days at our latitude, and the fresh batch of Arctic air late this week will be no different.

For now the bitter cold air early in the week is just a memory. Today and tomorrow will feature highs all the way up to near freezing. A low pressure system off the coast (present south of Louisiana on today’s map) bears watching for tomorrow as it might give us a period of light snow. The bottom drops out again Thursday night through Friday night with lows near 10°F and highs in the mid 20s°F. By the weekend, highs will return to the 30s°F with more chances of flurries or rain showers. A weather pattern change will shift the storm track into our area next week, meaning less blasts of bitter air, but more chances for larger storms. There is indeed a lot of winter left this year, and early February may prove to be a very snowy time.

Extended Forecast

Tonight: Increasing clouds. Low 23°F (-5°C).

Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy, chance afternoon light snow. High 29°F (-2°C).

Tomorrow night: Clearing skies, bitterly cold. Low 9°F (-13°C).

Friday: Sunny and cold. High 23°F (-5°C).

Saturday: Clouds and sun, chance of flurries. High 32°F (0°C).

Sunday: Sunny, beach weather. High 40°F (4°C).