BITTER COLD LOCKED AWAY...FOR NOW.
Written By: Scott Hetsko
I decided to post temperatures in Canada as of 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday for two reasons. One is to let you know where the Arctic air is now and also to remind you that there is still plenty of cold air to tap into down the road. Our weather will be fairly quiet around here the next 6-10 days as we are dominated by a zonal flow. Zonal (West to East) winds usually mean only weak storms or fronts in the Northeast.
It will be a nice break but I suspect we will be looking back on the upcoming days fondly when Frigid weather returns the last few days of January and early February. Our second shot of bitter cold air will likely strike at that time. Expect another 10-14 day period of unusual cold and lake snows. Time will tell, enjoy the 40 degree weather while you can!
Hi Scott. Will lake effect have a harder time staying organized come late January and into February due to the higher sun angle and longer days? or doesn't that happen until closer to spring, like March?
ReplyDeleteLate season lake effect becomes more challenging for a number of reasons.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, as we move further into the cold months, remember that we begin to see ice on the surface of the lakes. Where there's ice, there's no moisture transfer between lake and air. This is why when Lake Erie freezes over in the late winter, lake effect there is essentially done. With Ontario being much deeper and bigger, it doesn't freeze over completely, so lake effect (albeit weaker) still has a fighting chance.
To answer your original question, the longer days do have an effect as well. Remember that longer days equal more potential sunshine. Daytime heat actually acts to stir the winds and mix the lower atmosphere, which works against lake effect development.
So the short answer is that as we get further into the winter, the harder lake effect snow is to come by. At least of any strength.
Bob or Scott do you think we'll lose all of our snow cover before the cold comes back?
ReplyDeleteI just yelled across the room to Scott and his exact words were "Naaah, I don't think we'll lose it." I second that motion as well. We've got a lot on the ground, and the evenings will be back below freezing.
ReplyDeleteHa. Thanks, guys. You're all a good team!
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