North American Weather (U.S.A & Canada)

[WillinGlossop]

15 inches of snow in suburbs of chicago.....

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/live-blizzard-to-eye-northeast/21627625

[Jack Wales]

Yes, deep cold and -40C widely being recorded across canada at the lower latitudes (50 to 55 deg north), -46C in parts of Quebec.  Currently approaching -30C in parts of Newfoundland!

Edited January 3, 2014 by Jack Wales

[knocker]

Cold arctic air currently spilling southward out of Canada... all the way to Central America. http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/1000hPa/orthographic=-88.21,36.23,1024 â€¦

[Gaz1985]

Tuesday -10 uppers getting into the "panhandle" of Florida! bet that will be a shock to the system and the palm trees. 

 

Edited January 3, 2014 by Gaz1985

[knocker]

Coldest Arctic Outbreak in Midwest Since the 1990s; East, South to Shiver Also

 

The words "January" and "cold" are forever linked in the U.S. No marketing campaigns needed. Everybody other than those in, say, the Florida Keys, Arizona, or Hawaii understands. 

 

Low temperature records in one of the nation's coldest month in the U.S., particularly in the Midwest, are harder to crack. It's a pretty, uh, low bar, so to speak.

 

That said, one of coldest Arctic outbreaks in the past two decades is ready to plunge into the nation's Midwest, while also sweeping its shivering air into the East and South. Let's get to the bitter forecast details.

 

http://www.wunderground.com/news/coldest-arctic-outbreak-1990s-midwest-south-east-20140103

[Gord]

Well the low pressure that will eventually bring the bitter arctic air is now starting to move east, currently affecting Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. It has a much more influential warm sector than first though meaning that mid-Indiana, mid-Ohio and points east will see more in the way of rain today. North of that will still see large snow amounts. It will turn to snow for all tonight. There will still be accumulating snows but not as much as first thought. This brings a new threat of rain water freezing very quick when the first front pushes through tonight. Some places near the Ohio river may not get any accumulating snow and rain only, but these are the places that could be absolutely lethal by the morning. So a real dangerous mix on the way.

 

However, the record cold plunge is still expected to be as potent. The initial cold front tonight will bring already very cold temperatures...but tomorrows will bring the really brutal stuff.

 

Temperatures look like moderating across the lower Great Lakes and the North East later in the week and may even be back above average by next weekend with rain rather than snow becoming the threat again...but for how long?

 

Edit: In fact, looking at the latest models and forecasts, the mild sector is going to affect even further north. Cleveland, Buffalo will see some rain. Even as far up as Quebec may see rain mixing in.

Edited January 5, 2014 by Gord

[picog]

Coldest Arctic Outbreak in Midwest Since the 1990s; East, South to Shiver Also http://www.wunderground.com/news/coldest-arctic-outbreak-1990s-midwest-south-east-20140103

That is just SOOO cold! Great read though.

[Dancerwithwings]

NewYork .....Amazing +14 to -15 in 24hrs. http://www.foreca.com/United_States/New_York/New_York_City?tenday     http://www.foreca.com/United_States/New_York/New_York_City

Edited January 5, 2014 by Dancerwithwings

[Gord]

That's pretty insane! Gord mentions the cold air is moving *cough* east?How far though?

 

Yeah, it's one of a hell cold front.

 

Well, the cold air is moving south and east, the mild push before hand is always a good sign of just how strong the cold front will be. Digging very far south too. All the way out to the east coast and down to northern Florida will feel this one.

 

Then it has the Atlantic to Britishify it and turn it into a big rainy windy mess! Although think we won't be seeing this one! We'll be basking in our average, dry conditions.

[keithlucky]

Serious problems for Green bay  packers supporters with temps of -15

Edited January 5, 2014 by keithlucky

[Gord]

Just been looking at traffic webcams for Ohio. The rain/snow line is around northwest Ohio. You can see that there is plenty of snow up in Toledo. In Columbus, despite it raining, the snow cover is very much intact but there has clearly been some melting. South of Cincinnati, a lot of the snow cover has gone showing how strong the mild sector is.

 

If I was still living there, I would be really concerned about the rapid freeze up on the way. For those areas seeing the rain fall and the snow melt, it's going to be so bad tomorrow . There is around 1-3 inches of snow to come on the back end of this sytem to make it even more lethal.

 

Been interesting reading American weather forums today. I was reading one rant/moan thread where people in northeast Ohio are upset because they are only due 1-3 inches of snow. That would cause wild celebration in our forum!

 

All about perspective of course.

 

(There's a lot of jealousy aimed at Chicago and north Illinois who keep getting in the prime spot this winter!)

 

If you want to view the Ohio webcams by the way, the website is www.buckeyetraffic.org. However, you'll need tunnelbear or something as you can't view it from the UK for some reason.

Edited January 5, 2014 by Gord

[Hotspur62]

Seems temps(real feel according to Accuweather) will be down to -60!! in some parts of US.That is just brutal and hard to imagine tbh.Looks like cold weather will stay for this week before brief warm up next week where temps will be above normal week beginning 13th before the cold comes back the week after(according to Joe B ).Many parts of US and Canada are really starting to have a winter to remember. All we have here in Blighty is rain,rain and more bl--dy rain!! 

[Gord]

Really interesting watching this. Seeing I have a personal connection with Columbus, Ohio, I'll stick to following the progress there..

 

...and it's not good for snow. This mild sector is far warmer than forecast...up to 7c now and the main precipitation hasn't reached there yet. The heaviest core of precipitation has just entered Ohio. Columbus is going to be in a for a soaker and could go warmer as the cold front is still several hours away. I would be gutted if I was still there right now. Mind you, as soon as the cold front is through they will know all about it.

 

The gradient between snow and rain is incredible. It's currently around 3C and rising and raining in Dayton, Ohio, Indianapolis is still below freezing and heavy snow. Between those two cities, there's going to be people only a few miles apart seeing very different conditions to each other.  Lots of joy for snow lovers to the northwest of this line...heartbreak for those southeast of it. The very northwest regions of Ohio are looking at a foot with more further north and west. Those from Columbus and points south and east are now staring in the face of a complete washout. In fact, snow amounts in Columbus have been downgraded again from 3 inches to under 1 inch. From 7 inches to nearly nothing in just 48 hours in their forecast.

 

So it's not just here where we're left reeling from dissappointments.

 

...however....the two cold fronts are coming...

 

Edit: Another look at the webcams shows that snow cover is fast diminishing all across central Ohio now...hanging on in northeast Ohio. With little snow now expected...wonder what effect this will have on the brutal cold coming in? Would be impressive to still get those lows with no snow cover.

Edited January 5, 2014 by Gord

[stewfox]

Seems temps(real feel according to Accuweather) will be down to -60!! in some parts of US.That is just brutal and hard to imagine tbh.Looks like cold weather will stay for this week before brief warm up next week where temps will be above normal week beginning 13th before the cold comes back the week after(according to Joe B ).Many parts of US and Canada are really starting to have a winter to remember. All we have here in Blighty is rain,rain and more bl--dy rain!! 

 

-35c over North Dakota by 11pm with winchill -50c  

 

 

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/

[Dancerwithwings]

I would love too experience a temperature difference of 31c in one day.... Pittsburgh +9 to -22 http://www.foreca.com/United_States/Pennsylvania/Pittsburgh

[cheeky_monkey]

I would love too experience a temperature difference of 31c in one day.... Pittsburgh +9 to -22 http://www.foreca.com/United_States/Pennsylvania/Pittsburgh

its funny i have experienced this on numeruos occasions and its not as noticeable as you would think

[Dancerwithwings]

I have experienced very low temperatures, But being in + figures then waking up the next day in the -20s must be a shock to the system.... Well it would be in the uk anyway

[cheeky_monkey]

i have seen in drop from +6c to -15c in a couple of hours just a few weeks ago in Calgary

[Dancerwithwings]

Calgary.... Here it's 12c and chucking it down .....YES 12C AT MIDNIGHT

Edited January 6, 2014 by Dancerwithwings

[Dancerwithwings]

I've done 40c to 5c.....in 5 seconds....Sauna straight into a Plunge pool it that counts..... Trust me not recomended

[Coast]

 

N America weather: Polar vortex brings record temperatures

 

Parts of the US are braced for potentially record-breaking low temperatures as a "polar vortex" brings more freezing weather. A winter storm has already blanketed areas of Canada and the north-eastern US with up to 2ft (60 cm) of snow. It has been blamed for 16 deaths in recent days and the cancellation of more than 3,700 flights this weekend. Schools in Chicago are among those closing as officials tell people to stay indoors on Monday.

 

Meanwhile, a plane from Toronto slid into snow as it turned onto a taxiway after landing at New York's JFK airport on Sunday. No-one was hurt in the incident but all flights at the airport were suspended for two hours because of icy runways. he plunging temperatures result from the polar vortex, an anti-clockwise pool of cold, dense air.

 

Forecasters say temperatures in the north and central US could feel as low as -60F (-51C) with the effect of wind chill. Authorities have warned residents to remain indoors, both for their own safety and to keep roads clear for snow removal. In Canada, thousands of people on the island of Newfoundland remain without power due to a transformer fire linked to heavy snow.

 

'Bitterly cold'

 

"The coldest weather in years will be making its presence known from the Upper Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic region for the beginning of the work week," the US National Weather Service said in a statement. The states of Ohio, South Dakota and Illinois are among those set to be hit. Tennessee and Kentucky are forecast to see several inches of snow. The weather service said "an incredibly strong surge of bitterly cold Arctic air" was sweeping across the country until Tuesday.

 

It is set to continue to the north-east, where residents are still digging out from the week's deadly snowstorm. It could bring some of the coldest temperatures in two decades. "The last really big Arctic outbreak was 1994," Reuters news agency quoted Bob Oravec, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, as saying. "Outbreaks like this don't occur every day."

 

In Canada, the temperature dropped as low as -20F (-29C) in Toronto and -36F (-38C) in Quebec City with wind chill on Thursday - the lowest seen in at least two decades there. Heavy snow has also affected US states including New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Boston was said to be the worst hit with nearly 18in (45cm) of snow. Schools have also been closed across the state of Minnesota for Monday, as well as for parts of Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, among others.

 

Officials in Chicago, Illinois reversed a decision to keep schools open following criticism from a teachers' union, according to the Associated Press. State offices were to stay closed in neighbouring Indiana where a state of emergency was declared in Lake County in the northwest, allowing only emergency or law enforcement vehicles on the roads. The Green Bay Packers football team handed out hot chocolate and hand warmers to fans at a game being played in Wisconsin on Sunday. Doctors had urged fans to wear at least three layers of clothing.

 

Sixteen deaths have been blamed on the wide-ranging storm, according to the Associated Press news agency. A salt storage worker was killed in Philadelphia when a 100-ft (30-metre) pile of road salt fell and crushed him. A woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease in New York state froze to death after she wandered away from her rural home. Some 1,200 flights were cancelled across the US on Saturday, with over 2,500 cancelled nationwide by the middle of Sunday, almost half of those in Chicago. Environment Canada has said "widespread dangerous wind chills" are likely across Ontario in the first half of the week.

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25609411

[Gaz1985]

Chicago windchill -41c!    

http://classic.wunderground.com/US/IL/Chicago/KORD.html

[Gaz1985]

Today was officially one of the coldest days on record in Chicago (at noon time)

And here is a quote from the US national weather service, note temps are in Fahrenheit *f* and not Celsius *c*, convert them into Celsius and you have our standard.

 

.. Monday's record low Max was not set but noon temperatures
were amongst the coldest on record... 

A technicality prevented Monday from possibly tying or breaking
the coldest daily high temperature ever in Chicago. The midnight
temperature... while bitterly cold and also setting a daily record
for Chicago... will be the daily high Monday and was not at or
below the all-time daily cold high temperature record of -11.
Nonetheless... Monday will go down as one of the coldest days on
record. Here is a ranking of the coldest noon temperatures on
record dating back to the 1929-30 Winters in Chicago and Rockford.

Chicago
-------
temp date
1) -21 Jan 10 1982
2) -17 Jan 20 1985
3) -16 Dec 24 1985
4) -15 Feb 9 1933
-15 Jan 22 1936
-15 Jan 16 1982
7) -14 Jan 18 1994
 *-14 Jan 6 2014* 
9) -13 Jan 16 1977 
10) -10 Jan 18 1940 
-10 Jan 28 1977 
-10 Jan 9 1982

Edited January 6, 2014 by Gaz1985

[Coopsy]

I had 9oC to -18oC in a few hours last week. pretty standard round these parts and no news reports

 

Its cold in the US....pretty standard for these parts and no news reports lol ;-)

Edited January 6, 2014 by canadiancoops

[cheeky_monkey]

I had 9oC to -18oC in a few hours last week. pretty standard round these parts and no news reports Its cold in the US....pretty standard for these parts and no news reports lol ;-)

Exactly CC i dont why this forum is going bonkers over it..when we had wind chills close to -50c cpl weeks ago no one batted an eyelid