With Bowl Games and Semi's out of the way, winter weather is here to stay!

After a seemingly warm December for the Southeastern and Southern United States, it seems as though a shift in temperature is in order. Out with the old and in with the New Year, but the old weather is still the current weather (I would say it doesn't change...but let's be honest, weather is ALWAYS changing). A cold blast is affecting the United States and in addition to already frigid temperatures, wind chill temperatures are such that would seemingly crack frozen hairs off your head.

Raleigh

Let's start with Raleigh and work our way colder. Raleigh is experiencing the warmest day of the surrounding week today with a forecasted high temperature of 52. Temperatures will drop and stay cold in the next couple days as a result of the first and second cold blasts which we will experience, one yesterday, and one later this week. For the first day of classes tomorrow, it's going to be cold during the day and especially cold at night. Tomorrow morning for our 8:00 classes, the temperature will be situated around 30 F. The high forecasted for tomorrow is in the upper 30's, but tomorrow night the temperature will drop into the 10's (11-12 degrees) with wind chill values near 0 as a result of a strong northwesterly wind sustained from 15-20 mph with gusts reaching 30.

This also means that if you have an 8:00 or 8:30 class on Thursday morning, those are the temperatures that we are going to be experiencing on our way to class. my only advice is to bundle up and have chap stick with you so that your lips don't get wind burned and chapped.

Thursday night for morning classes on Friday the temperature will be much more mild and manageable with temperatures sitting in the upper teens (I know, still very cold, but much warmer than 0). Friday temperatures should climb back into the low 40's with sunny skies and calm winds.

This weekend will be cool but consistent. Low temperatures Friday night/Saturday morning will be around 20, the high Saturday will be near 40 with mostly sunny skies, the low on Saturday night/Sunday morning will settle around the mid 20's, and Sunday afternoon the high will reach the low 40's again with mostly cloudy skies and decent potential for an afternoon or evening shower across the Piedmont.

United States

The rest of the northern United States will experience cold temperatures, but not in the sense that we think cold. They will experience frigid temperatures over the next few days; 30 below 0 frigid. Yes, you read that correctly. With this second cold blast, the Northern Plains will experience the coldest temperatures with wind chill values of -50 in some areas of northern Minnesota and -40 around the great lakes, and as the Jet stream continues to move south, the New England States and eastern portions of the Great Lakes will experience the coldest temperatures with -30's wind chill in Chicago and -40 wind chill in northern Maine. Now, I've only heard of school closing as a result of cold temperatures a couple times in the short life that I have lived so far, but I'd have to say that if classes were to be cancelled for such a reason again, this would be a good time to do it in the Northern United States.


Meteorological Breakdown

So what is allowing these frigid temperatures to occur in the United States? I'm glad you asked. The jet stream, though it does not have the final say on Micrometeorology and Mesoscale Meteorology, has quite an effect on the temperatures which we experience. It creates a figurative wall between the cold northern  Canadian air, and the warm southern Gulf air. As the jet stream shifts, so do the temperatures. The first cold blast is hit last night and today, but as the second cold blast affects temperatures over the next couple of days, the jet stream moves from a centralized location of around Maryland and Northern Virginia, to the southern states after dipping down in the Midwest. Also due to the location of the jet stream, very little Pacific or Gulf moisture will be entrained into this cold pocket and clouds that form will be very icy in nature allowing for maximum sunlight reflection meaning that temperatures will stay cool for some time. I'll be interested to see how much wintry precipitation occurs in the North with this second cold blast. NY has already experienced another significant lake-effect snow event which dumped about 2 feet in some places in central NY.

I know that in the last couple of days, especially last night, significant snow fell in regions of Maryland (Washington D.C. as well), Ohio, northern Virginia, and Indiana and more snow is expected to fall in these areas and north with the passing of what the Weather Channel is naming Winter Storm Gorgon. I have been following the Weather Channel's and the NWS's twitter feeds in order to stay updated on most recent meteorological turn of events regarding precipitation, temperatures, and human impact whether it be travel conditions or flight delays and cancellations.

Impact of "Winter Storm Gorgon"

It is estimated that over 240 million people in the United States will be affected, whether it be cold temperatures, winter precipitation, cancelled/delayed flights, packages and shipments being delayed, or even not being able to drive home. I hope there are no power outages because especially with temperatures this cold, power outages could be fatal. I don't want to see any deaths from this winter storm and blast of cold air. Last night over 500 flights were delayed to/from Chicago O'Hare International Airport and more will be delayed if not cancelled tonight as a result of the continued battering of wind and frigid temperatures. Stay tuned to your local weather stations for information in your area regarding this winter storm.

Going Outside?

If you have to go outside for any reason, bundle up. If temperatures in your area with wind chill are getting to be in the teens below zero or lower, make sure that any exposed skin is covered up. Wearing two pairs of gloves and socks is not a bad idea in order to protect your extremities. Keep moving in order to help your heart pump blood to your entire body, and keep wiggling your fingers and toes in order to keep blood flowing through the smaller blood vessels in your body. Have chap stick with you so that you can protect your lips from the wind and precipitation. Wearing two hats and two shirts underneath a heavy jacket and a/or thermal shirt is a good idea to protect your core and prevent heat loss from the top of your body (where most of body heat is lost). Don't go outside unless you absolutely have to. The combination of wind and precipitation dehydrates skin very quickly so be sure very little to no skin is exposed.

It's going to be a cold next couple of months in the Central, Northern, and Eastern United States. This is one of many expected winter storms and Canadian cold blasts to affect our region so get ready for consistently colder temperatures over the next couple months.

Happy New Year!