FREEZE WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR DC AND POINTS EAST UNTIL 6 AM TOMORROW MORNING
Do you know your weather history?It seems fitting that on one of the colder nights of the year we celebrate the 18th anniversary of the largest, earliest snowfall in the Nation's Capital during the Veteran's Day Snowstorm of 1987. Nearly 12 inches of the white stuff piled up in the immediate metro region, and higher amounts near 15-19 inches occurred in areas east of the city.
Image Left: Photo shot during the 1987 storm. Courtesy of the Weatherbook.com
Outlook:
Clear skies and light winds will combine tonight to allow temperatures to drop into the low-mid 30s in most locations around the region, hence the freeze warnings in effect overnight. Temperatures tomorrow, however, will rebound quickly into the low 60s under mainly sunny conditions as high pressure continues to nose into the region from the southwest.
Colder air waiting to make an entrance:As discussed in the previous post, cold air continues to build in extreme northern Canada, as noted by the -30F temperature readings in the Northwest Territories and Victoria Island.
Mid level heights (ie. at the 500mb level or about 18,000 feet up) are well below 5,200 meters, which is significantly below normal (at least for the continental US). To put 5,200 meter 500mb heights in perspective for you: if those kind of heights were present over the Capital, high temperatures would likely only be in the single digits to near 0 degrees.
It is looking more and more likely that at least a chunk of this very cold Canadian air breaks off and begins a journey to the southeast towards the US boarder over the weekend and early next week. As heights crash in response to this approaching trough/surface cold front, highs fall back into the low 50s-and some models even take temps into the upper 40s by the end of next week.
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