Good morning from Southern Connecticut Weather!
So you thought old man winter was going to just throw frigid temperatures our way without finding a way to bring a significant storm to the area? Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, that is all about to change. Let’s start off with the calm before the storm…
Today will feature mostly sunny skies and high temperatures in the 20s statewide, a far cry from the temperatures that struggled to make it out of the teens just a couple of days ago. Winds will be light early, ranging between calm and about 7 mph statewide, so windchill won’t be much of a factor, but still, bundle up. As we head through this evening, temperatures will only drop slightly and clouds will be on the increase late. Then the fun starts…
Our next weather maker, in the short term, starts off as an innocuous low just east of Florida, around the Bahama Islands. As this low pressure system rides the coast line toward the Mid Atlantic, this low will rapidly intensify, undergoing bombogenesis or “Bomb” out as central pressure rapidly falls and the precipitation shield rapidly expands. Down south, as far south as northern Florida, they are bracing for heavy frozen precipitation, with snow mixing in possibly as far south as Orlando! As the rapidly intensifying low pressure system moves north and east toward our area, things will go downhill rather quickly after midnight toward around dawn. Clouds will be on the increase, but it may take a while for precipitation to overcome dry air, could take a while for all of the atmospheric columns to “saturate” so that actual frozen precipitation could be experienced at the surface.
To our north, we have a very strong high pressure system, acting as a wall to keep the storm to our south near the “benchmark” for nor’easters, keeping most areas safely all snow. Although I am seeing a chance for a quick changeover to sleet in far southeastern Connecticut, still expecting significant snows in this area. This strong high pressure also makes it so that northern and western areas of the state will see lesser impacts from snow and wind, still advisory criteria, and nothing to take lightly.
So you thought old man winter was going to just throw frigid temperatures our way without finding a way to bring a significant storm to the area? Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, that is all about to change. Let’s start off with the calm before the storm…
Today will feature mostly sunny skies and high temperatures in the 20s statewide, a far cry from the temperatures that struggled to make it out of the teens just a couple of days ago. Winds will be light early, ranging between calm and about 7 mph statewide, so windchill won’t be much of a factor, but still, bundle up. As we head through this evening, temperatures will only drop slightly and clouds will be on the increase late. Then the fun starts…
Our next weather maker, in the short term, starts off as an innocuous low just east of Florida, around the Bahama Islands. As this low pressure system rides the coast line toward the Mid Atlantic, this low will rapidly intensify, undergoing bombogenesis or “Bomb” out as central pressure rapidly falls and the precipitation shield rapidly expands. Down south, as far south as northern Florida, they are bracing for heavy frozen precipitation, with snow mixing in possibly as far south as Orlando! As the rapidly intensifying low pressure system moves north and east toward our area, things will go downhill rather quickly after midnight toward around dawn. Clouds will be on the increase, but it may take a while for precipitation to overcome dry air, could take a while for all of the atmospheric columns to “saturate” so that actual frozen precipitation could be experienced at the surface.
To our north, we have a very strong high pressure system, acting as a wall to keep the storm to our south near the “benchmark” for nor’easters, keeping most areas safely all snow. Although I am seeing a chance for a quick changeover to sleet in far southeastern Connecticut, still expecting significant snows in this area. This strong high pressure also makes it so that northern and western areas of the state will see lesser impacts from snow and wind, still advisory criteria, and nothing to take lightly.
Let’s talk impacts. Now I’m sure what’s on most of your minds is “how much snow?”. Areas to the north and west will experience the least amount of snow, as they will be on the outer edge of the storm’s precipitation shield, this area looks to receive 2-5 inches of high ratio, powdery snow. A nuisance type event in these areas. As we head farther south and east, numbers climb slightly approaching winter storm warning threshold, 4-8 inches of powdery snow, more the farther east you head. Finally, approaching major winter storm criteria, 6-12 inches of snow, with locally more, is expected. As previously mentioned, the beaches of far southeastern Connecticut could see a bit of “taint” with sleet at the height of the storm, but still expecting 6+ inches in these areas. Other impacts, wind will be a big impact. From mid-morning Thursday through Friday, winds will be gusting 40-50+ miles per hour, combined with snow, this spells travel and power issues. Have all of your essentials ready if you do happen to lose power, and don’t venture out if you don’t have to, especially in eastern areas. Also coastal flooding looks to be a concern as water piles up in Long Island Sound from the very strong low pressure area.
Timing of the event…clouds move in toward midnight, with snow filtering into the state before sunrise, snow becomes steady, heavy at times by mid-morning Thursday, so I am expecting most schools and school districts around the state to be cancelled. Winds pick up over the course of Thursday morning and near blizzard conditions look possible along the shore and in eastern Connecticut. As the storm moves out of the area early Thursday evening, winds flip from a north easterly direction, to being out of the northwest, ushering in brutally cold temperatures. Temperatures Thursday night plummet down into the single digits state wide, with the thermometer not moving much above 10 degrees on Friday, combined with the gusty winds, which will persist through the day on Friday, this will make for downright dangerous conditions.
Timing of the event…clouds move in toward midnight, with snow filtering into the state before sunrise, snow becomes steady, heavy at times by mid-morning Thursday, so I am expecting most schools and school districts around the state to be cancelled. Winds pick up over the course of Thursday morning and near blizzard conditions look possible along the shore and in eastern Connecticut. As the storm moves out of the area early Thursday evening, winds flip from a north easterly direction, to being out of the northwest, ushering in brutally cold temperatures. Temperatures Thursday night plummet down into the single digits state wide, with the thermometer not moving much above 10 degrees on Friday, combined with the gusty winds, which will persist through the day on Friday, this will make for downright dangerous conditions.
A brief look ahead to the weekend and beyond shows that Saturday will be another brutally cold day, and Sunday being a day where temperatures look to moderate a bit showing a possible relaxation period from the brutal arctic chill which we’ve been experiencing for next week.
As always, thank you for reading! Keep it locked to Southern Connecticut Weather for all of the latest.- TW
As always, thank you for reading! Keep it locked to Southern Connecticut Weather for all of the latest.- TW
