BLOG 1/12/09: COLDEST AIR OF THE SEASON ARRIVES THIS WEEK

Written By: Brian Neudorff

The cold is coming and it will be brutal for a couple of days. A fast moving clipper storm will slide through the region on Tuesday. Initially we will see some snow showers picking up a quick 1 to 3 inches during the day on Tuesday. Behind this clipper will be very cold Arctic air. Our average high temperature is around 30 degrees and our average low is about the mid to upper teens. By Wednesday and possibly into Saturday our highs will be in the upper single digits to near 10 and our lows, especially Thursday and Friday morning, will fall below zero.

I wanted to know the last time we were this cold and I had to go back 4 years to 2005 . There was a three day stretch from January 21st to the 23rd where high temperatures were 8 to 10 degrees and lows were -10 to -5. We also picked up 17 inches of snow in those three days.

Since we have some time before the cold arrives it would be wise just to make sure you have plenty of gas in your car. If you have outdoor pets, make sure you bring them in or someplace they can be out of the cold. Also, if you have to be outdoors, dress warm, cover as much skin as possible. Wear hats, gloves layers to stay warm and dry. For more information you can visit the Winter Weather Guide from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention