Weather

January 6, 2021 – Looking Ahead This Week

Weather Summary
Tonight.
Feels like …
March 15th.
Mostly Cloudy and 25 degrees , 7:25 sunrise.
Thursday.
Feels like …
February 18th.
Mostly Sunny and 35 degrees , 4:38 sunset.
Thursday Night.
Feels like …
February 28th.
Partly Cloudy and 20 degrees , 13 max wind chill, 7:24 sunrise.
Friday.
Feels like …
February 14th.
Mostly Sunny and 34 degrees , 13 max wind chill, 4:39 sunset.
Friday Night.
Feels like …
February 16th.
Partly Cloudy and 17 degrees , 11 max wind chill, 7:24 sunrise.
Saturday.
Feels like …
January 30th.
Mostly Sunny and 31 degrees , 11 max wind chill, 4:40 sunset.
Saturday Night.
Feels like …
February 24th.
Partly Cloudy and 19 degrees , 12 max wind chill, 7:24 sunrise.
Sunday.
Feels like …
February 10th.
Mostly Sunny and 33 degrees , 12 max wind chill, 4:41 sunset.
Sunday Night.
Feels like …
February 24th.
Partly Cloudy and 19 degrees , 14 max wind chill, 7:24 sunrise.
Monday.
Feels like …
February 18th.
Mostly Sunny and 35 degrees , 4:43 sunset.
Monday Night.
Feels like …
March 7th.
Partly Cloudy and 22 degrees , 7:23 sunrise.
Tuesday.
Feels like …
February 22nd.
Partly Sunny and 36 degrees , 4:44 sunset.
Tuesday Night.
Feels like …
March 13th.
Mostly Cloudy and 24 degrees , 7:23 sunrise.

Setting Sun 2

GIS Resources

DAMWeather: GIS Resources

Here's a list of resources I use to make my maps. If you see anything in my maps that I don't have listed here, shoot me an email and ask where I got it from. If it's freely available, I'll be happy to send along a link or point you in the right direction.

Some of the files (like the WPC's percentile forecasts) are listed in .grb format, which requires the National Weather Service's tkdegrib program to convert into a usable file. The link is at the very bottom of this page.

Cloudy Day in Upstate NY

As you can see it's a pretty cloudy day in Upstate NY. Downstate though and Connecticut they're seeing a bit more sun and it's expected to clear out tonight through next week with high pressure building in.

What is the Polar Vortex?

What is the Polar Vortex?

The polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding both of the Earth’s poles. It ALWAYS exists near the poles, but weakens in summer and strengthens in winter. The term "vortex" refers to the counter-clockwise flow of air that helps keep the colder air near the Poles. Many times during winter in the northern hemisphere, the polar vortex will expand, sending cold air southward with the jet stream (see graphic above). This occurs fairly regularly during wintertime and is often associated with large outbreaks of Arctic air in the United States. The one that occurred January 2014 is similar to many other cold outbreaks that have occurred in the past, including several notable colder outbreaks in 1977, 1982, 1985 and 1989.

Polar vortex shifting southward due to spiking temperatures around North Pole

Polar vortex shifting southward due to spiking temperatures around North Pole

Rising temperatures in the North Pole are causing parts of the polar vortex to split off and move southward, leading to the possibility of a particularly harsh winter in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

The polar vortex, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines as "a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding the Earth's North and South poles," generally remains strong and stable, as it did last winter.

As reported by The Washington Post, when it remains stable, cold air stays within the area over the Arctic, with snow chances much less in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.

Early signs point to potential blockbuster Northeast snowstorm | AccuWeather

Early signs point to potential blockbuster Northeast snowstorm | AccuWeather

AccuWeather meteorologists are alerting snow lovers and those hoping for a white Christmas about the potential for a possible snowstorm in the Northeast around the middle of December. The storm is far from set in stone, but forecasters are recognizing some early signals that a storm could come together and tap enough cold air to produce snow across part of the region during the middle of next week.

Leading up to that potential storm, wild swings in the weather will continue, and one upcoming trend may lull Americans into thinking a fall-like pattern is resuming. A trend toward warmer weather is anticipated this weekend in the Northeast, thanks to a storm expected to take a northerly track through the Midwest and into eastern Canada.

December 11, 2020 9 PM Update

Average Temperatures

This table shows the average high, median, and low temperatures for the next year. Previous year values are shown in parenthesis. The sun angle is the maximum sun angle at solar noon for the day.

Week Date Sun Angle High Median Low
December 17 24Β° 35 (30) 28 (28) 21 (26)
4 January 8 25.2Β° 30 (39) 22 (30) 15 (21)
9 February 15 34.8Β° 35 (28) 26 (16) 17 (4)
11 March 4 41.1Β° 40 (50) 31 (44) 22 (38)
13 March 17 46.2Β° 45 (51) 35 (43) 26 (35)
15 March 28 50.5Β° 50 (51) 40 (41) 30 (30)
16 April 7 54.3Β° 55 (65) 44 (54) 34 (42)
18 April 18 58.3Β° 60 (49) 49 (42) 38 (34)
20 May 1 62.6Β° 65 (61) 54 (55) 43 (49)
22 May 16 66.6Β° 70 (73) 58 (64) 47 (55)
24 June 3 69.7Β° 75 (81) 64 (70) 53 (58)
27 June 22 70.8Β° 80 (95) 69 (83) 59 (70)
35 August 18 60.4Β° 80 (87) 70 (77) 60 (67)
38 September 8 52.9Β° 75 (73) 65 (63) 55 (52)
40 September 21 48Β° 70 (84) 60 (67) 50 (50)
42 October 2 43.7Β° 65 (75) 55 (62) 45 (49)
44 October 15 38.7Β° 60 (62) 50 (51) 40 (39)
45 October 28 34.2Β° 55 (60) 46 (53) 36 (45)
47 November 10 30.2Β° 50 (47) 42 (40) 33 (33)
49 November 22 27.2Β° 45 (48) 38 (41) 30 (33)
51 December 4 25.1Β° 40 (36) 33 (28) 26 (19)