Canadian Wildfires Producing Large Areas of Smoke over the Northeast...Air Quality Alerts in Effect

An unusually large number of forest fires are burning tonight over Canada with a large number concentrated in Quebec. Many are burning out of control. The upper-level wind pattern indicates a slow moving area of low pressure over the Canadian Maritimes.  The counterclockwise or cyclonic circulation around this system will bring down extensive areas of smoke though Saturday with some improvement for the Northeast and New York City Metro Area beginning Sunday afternoon and evening. Air quality alerts are in effect for the Tri-State area as well as upstate New York, Pennsylvania and parts of New England. 

George Wright is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist for Wright Weather Consulting, LLC. Visit our website at WrightWeather.com. Follow George Wright on Twitter @gwweather.

 

Wet Snow for the NYC Metro Area Last Night and This Morning...

The winter storm that produced snow, sleet and rain last night into this afternoon was the biggest snowfall of the season with 1.8 inches measured in Central Park. Incredibly, so far only 0.4 inches of snow has fallen this winter, the least amount on record. The snow did not stick on the streets and sidewalks of Manhattan but there was snow on some roofs, awnings and natural ground. More snow fell in the colder suburbs.  There was a recent Sudden Stratospheric Warming and high pressure is near the north pole. Colder than normal weather will be felt in the Northeast for the next 10 day period.

Snowfall totals reported today by the National Weather Service included"

CT

DANBURY                      7.0 IN               
NEW CANAAN                   7.0 IN                
1 SE WILTON                  7.0 IN                      
CROMWELL                     6.1 IN          
HIGGANUM                     5.0 IN                 
KILLINGWORTH                 4.0 IN                
WESTBROOK                    3.3 IN         
4 ENE NAUGATUCK              6.2 IN                   
3 WSW FRANKLIN               5.5 IN                   

NJ

ALLENDALE                    6.0 IN                  
OAKLAND                      6.0 IN                 
MONTCLAIR                    5.0 IN                
VERONA                       4.8 IN                
LIVINGSTON                   4.5 IN                 
HARRISON                     2.5 IN                   
KEARNY                       2.0 IN              
HOBOKEN                      1.2 IN       
1 W POMPTON LAKES            4.4 IN                 
TOTOWA                       3.6 IN                 
CLARK                        3.0 IN               
PLAINFIELD                   2.4 IN        
NEW PROVIDENCE               1.5 IN               
CRANFORD TWP 0.6 NNW         1.0 IN                
WESTFIELD 0.8 WSW            1.0 IN               

NY

CENTRAL PARK                 1.8 IN       

PORT JERVIS                  8.5 IN                
CHESTER                      7.5 IN                
PINE BUSH                    7.5 IN                
2 W PUTNAM VALLEY            6.5 IN                  
WHITESTONE                   3.2 IN                  
NYC/LA GUARDIA               2.7 IN       
LITTLE NECK                  2.5 IN          
HOWARD BEACH                 2.0 IN               
NYC/JFK                      1.5 IN        

George Wright is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist for Wright Weather Consulting, LLC. 

Visit our website at WrightWeather.com. Follow George Wright on Twitter @gwweather.

Extreme Cold in the Northeast Through Tonight...Milder Sunday...

The coldest weather of the winter rushed in last night across the Northeast and the NYC metro area.  The temperature this morning was 4 degrees in Central Park with wind chills of 10 to 20 degrees below zero.  It is -12 degrees in Albany, wind chill -29 degrees, 7 degrees at Newark and 3 degrees in Teterboro.  Mount Washington, New Hampshire actually is now above the troposphere which means stratospheric winds are now pounding the summit, last hour it was -42 degrees with a wind chill of -98 degrees.  The wind chills were below -100 degrees overnight.  As with our last cold snap on Christmas weekend, the cold will not last and it will be in the 40s in the city tomorrow.  So far only 0.4 inches of snow in Central Park. Longer range models indicate that there could be at least one chance for snow later this month. 

George Wright is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist for Wright Weather Consulting, LLC. Visit our website at WrightWeather.com. Follow George Wright on Twitter @gwweather.