24 Hour Temperature Change

The low pressure system that brought a wide spread snowfall and freezing rain to Delmarva Tuesday, January 27th, changed over to rain with an extreme temperature changes in the past 24 hours. Yesterday, temperatures lingered just below the freezing mark but today, Wednesday January 28th, a warm front associated with the low pressure system brought gusty winds, heavy rainfall, and extreme temperatures to Delmarva. Today's highs on the Eastern Shore was an extreme split from Easton, MD moving NE across the Peninsula just south of Dover, ranging in a difference of 21 degrees. Dover, DE high temperature today was 41 degrees and across the warm front in Salisbury, MD the high reached 62 degrees. As the system finally moved through the area just around 530pm-545 pm, the southern parts of the Eastern Shore experienced light thunderstorms, winds gusts over 40 mph, rainfall up to 1" and a rapid temperature drop. Tonight as the cold front passes off the east coast, cold air will filter back into the area. The temperatures tonight will return to the 20s and highs tomorrow will be in the upper 30s.

Delmarva's January Snowfall

Today, was the first wide spread snowfall across Delmarva, snowfall amounts ranging up to 2.2". A low pressure system moved into the Delmarva area today, ahead of the system was a cold air mass with enough moisture to bring snowfall to the Eastern Shore!
Today’s notable snowfall amounts:

Maryland

Saint Michaels: 2.0"

Royal Oak: 1.8"

Salisbury: 1.5"

Cambridge: 1.0"

Princess Anne: 1.0"

Delaware

Riverdale: 2.0"

Bridgeville 1.2"

Dover 1.1"

Frankford 1.10"

For the rest of the evening expect temperatures to linger just under the freezing mark, this will bring a chance for light ice accumulation to roadways and cars. Black ice is very possible tonight, especially on bridges and overpasses. After midnight, temperatures will begin to rise above the freezing level as a warm front approaches the area. The low pressure system will continue to move off shore Wednesday with warmer temperatures in the 50s and rainfall amounts between a quarter and half inch. As a cold front moves through Delmarva on Wednesday night colder temperatures will move back into Delmarva with lows in the 20s and highs back in the 30s.

Delmarva's January Snowfall Pictures

The Following Pictures Courtesy Of:

Weather Watcher

Hunter Outten

Frankford, DE

The Following Pictures Courtesy Of:

Weather Watcher

Carol Loy

Oriole, MD

Warmer Conditions Are On The Way!!!

There's a chance to hit the 50 degree mark on Friday, January 23rd. In the past week, cold artic conditions have swept across the northeast; bringing low temperatures near -2 degrees in Salisbury with wind chills in the negative teens. We've had black ice, sleet, flurries, cold rain, freezing fog but the worst of all was the bitter cold temperatures!
Finally, there may be some relief on the way, as a high pressure system moves off the east coast bringing SW winds and sunshine into the forecast for Friday! With all of these ingredients it just might make for a beautiful day with temperatures in the lower 50s. The last time Salisbury hit the 50 degree mark, was January 11th, 2009. The warm conditions will not be sticking around for long, with highs back in the 30s, the start of next week.

January Snowfall

After a extremely cold weekend with a Saturday morning low of -1, temperatures have warmed up a bit and some snow fell across Delmarva. If you like a little snow, then you will like the short term forecast. A trough in the jet stream continues to be situated over the northeast and mid-Atlantic. A series of disturbances will rotate around the next over the next 48 hours. Expect cloudy skies with cold temperatures and a chance for some snow showers. The first disturbance came through this evening producing a period of light snow. Temperatures were well above freezing so little if any accumulation occurred in most places. The exception was areas that saw a heavy burst of snow. One of these areas was in Sussex county, DE in Frankford. They received a covering up to 3/4" of snow. Here is a photo taken from our weather watcher Hunter Outten in Frankford.

On Monday, another disturbance will track through the mid-Atlantic bringing another chance at some light snow late Monday afternoon and evening. Not much accumulation is expected but if any heavy bursts develop, expect the potential for a coating to an inch to occur. Temperatures again will be above freezing until the evening.

Windy End to 2008 and Cold Start to 2009

An arctic cold front crossed Delmarva today, ushering in cold air for New Year Eve night and New Year's Day. Windy conditions also developed behind the front, as low pressure deepened off the New England coast today. Wind gusts ranged from the 50s to 60 across Delmarva today cause some power outages. The Salisbury Airport recorded a 62 mph wind gust this afternoon. High wind warnings were also in effect throughout the day as well.

Wind chills will become the main factor for New Year's Eve night. Even though the winds will be diminishing overnight, wind chills will be in the teens and eventually single digits early Thursday morning. High pressure then moves over the mid-Atlantic on New Year's Day causing less windy conditions but daytime highs will top out in the 30s. There should still be enough wind on New Year’s to bring wind chills down into the 20s during the day. Not good news for the brave people taking part in the AGH Penguin Swim in Ocean City.

Temperatures moderate some heading into the weekend with highs in the low to mid 40s. earlier this week it looked like we had a decent chance for showers on Friday but now that has diminished greatly. A spotty rain shower is possible Friday afternoon at best and then again on Sunday. Happy New Year and stay safe!

Temperature Inversion

Temperature inversion is an increase in temperature with altitude. Normally, the lower air near the surface is warmer than the air aloft. Of course, when temperature inversions occur this can cause serious damage to the earth's atmosphere. In some cases a smog can be trapped close to the surface of the earth causing air pollution. Several days of smog can cause serious damage to one's health.

In Donora, PA October of 1948 there was an inversion for four days, polluting the air with smog from nearby factories, resulting in 20 deaths and over 1\3 the population was sickened. Sixty years later, the New York Times considered it "One of the worst air pollution disaster in the nation's history".

Also another effect of temperature inversion can develop suppressed convection by acting as a "cap" which is a stable layer of the atmosphere that inhibits the development of convection. When the "cap" is broken for any reason a violent thunderstorms occurs and (or) freezing rain develops in typically colder climates.






Sources:

http://www.wikipedia.com/

http://www.awma.org/about/100years/pollresults2.html


http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/2005/05_07_28.html

Alberta Clipper

An Alberta Clipper is a small, fast-moving low pressure system that forms on the Pacific front, over the Rocky Mountain of Alberta Canada. The storm usually travels southeast into the Great Plains and it is followed by a very cold polar air mass. A clipper originates when warm, moist winds from the Pacific Ocean comes into contact with mountains. The air travels down the leeward side of the mountains, often forming a chinook in Alberta, then develops into a storm over the Canadian prairies. The system then comes together with a cold air mass in the winter, and slides southward into a pocket of high pressure, which sends the storm barreling into parts of the central and northeastern US. The storm brings strong winds gusts usually ranging between 35-45 mph with a sharp drop in temperatures in a short period of time. (temperatures can drop 30-40 degrees in a matter of 10-12 hours) Along with strong winds and the cold artic air mass the most brutal part of the storm can be the wind chill temperatures which can easily drop into the single digits. Alberta clippers usually occur between late December and February, some can form as early as November.