Active Winter Weather Moving to New England
The tranquil weather pattern and above-average temperatures of this winter in the Northeast should slowly change through the rest of January. The cold temperatures last weekend, when Logan Airport reached 6°F (-14°C) Saturday night, serve as a good example of what’s probably coming later this month. The jet stream, or the main storm track, has been split between northern Canada and a path from the desert Southwest toward the northern Plains for most of winter. This pattern has “locked” the cold air within Canada, allowing for warm air to stream in with the relatively weak storms thus far across the lower 48.
However, the jet stream is finally transitioning to another general setup, one that is more common for North American winters. Thus, more storms are likely to arrive in New England soon, with one passing by today and another during the upcoming weekend. Today’s weather will feature high winds as the nearby storm departs, and cold temperatures will return tonight. Snow may also fall on Thursday and on the weekend, since temperatures should remain below freezing as the next storm arrives.