Looks like the Ground Hog knew something after all. Old Punxsutawney Phil saidwinter would end early, and the coming week is going to be the warmest in quitea while.The fabled January Thaw didn't happen this year, but it's coming now. When thejet stream shifts north, it gets warmer, and that will happen next week. Bynext Tuesday and Wednesday, a very sizable portion of the Central and Easternstates will be enjoying temperatures well above normal. It will get to the 50sas far north as Ohio and Pennsylvania, 60s will show up in the mid-MississippiValley, and the southern Great Plains can expect highs in the 70s.
Just think, in Bartlesville, Okla., the low temperature early Thursday was 29below zero. Next Wednesday, that town will have highs in the upper 60s.
So how long will the thaw last? Across the North, probably not very. It's notoften that winter packs up and leaves for good during the middle of Februarynorth of 40 degrees. That being said, the atmosphere may have a tough timebringing more piercing cold into the Southern states for the rest of the winterseason.
In any case, the bottom line is that a major thaw is coming next week withtemperatures reaching their highest levels of the winter in many places.
Furthermore, the deep snow cover across the Midwest and Northeast will take abig hit. The snow would melt even faster if the air were to become increasinglymoist. Here's why:During a winter mild spell, snow will melt more quickly when the air is humid,rather than dry. In a dry air mass, evaporation of moisture off the snowsurface uses up heat, which keeps the snow cooler. When it is humid, or evenfoggy, the rate of evaporational cooling is greatly reduced, and snow meltsquickly.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior MeteoWeather HeadlinesThu, 10 Feb 2011 15:18:34 ESTIWS0Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:58:06 ESTKocet's CornerThe fabled January Thaw didn't happen this year, but it's coming now. When thejet stream shifts north, it gets warmer, and that will happen next week. Bynext Tuesday and Wednesday, a very sizable portion of the Central and Easternstates will be enjoying temperatures well above normal. It will get to the 50sas far north as Ohio and Pennsylvania, 60s will show up in the mid-MississippiValley, and the southern Great Plains can expect highs in the 70s.Just think, in Bartlesville, Okla., the low temperature early Thursday was 29below zero. Next Wednesday, that town will have highs in the upper 60s.
So how long will the thaw last? Across the North, probably not very. It's notoften that winter packs up and leaves for good during the middle of Februarynorth of 40 degrees. That being said, the atmosphere may have a tough timebringing more piercing cold into the Southern states for the rest of the winterseason.
In any case, the bottom line is that a major thaw is coming next week withtemperatures reaching their highest levels of the winter in many places.
Furthermore, the deep snow cover across the Midwest and Northeast will take abig hit. The snow would melt even faster if the air were to become increasinglymoist. Here's why:During a winter mild spell, snow will melt more quickly when the air is humid,rather than dry. In a dry air mass, evaporation of moisture off the snowsurface uses up heat, which keeps the snow cooler. When it is humid, or evenfoggy, the rate of evaporational cooling is greatly reduced, and snow meltsquickly.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist John Kocet.
