And it won't be our last bout with Arctic air, as we will be right on the edge of the "coldest" stuff heading into next weekend. Expect a glancing blow of Arctic air next Friday/Saturday - maybe into Sunday too.
For reference, the average high is around 43/44° and most days will come in well under that.
Longest stretches of sub-freezing temperatures:
Back in February 2021, there was an almost two-week stretch of highs below 32°. While it was one of the longest ones on record, there have been years where it was even longer.
This stretch coming later in the month won't be as cold as what we are facing in this first blast of Arctic air. But notice what is happening with the Arctic Oscillation (AO) as we go to the end of January and into early February. The green line (which is the one to watch) remains negative as we move down the stretch, which would suggest that it will remain cold for a while (not necessarily record setting), but any amount of "milder" air is likely short lived heading into early February (when the AO continues to show a negative trend.
More snow ahead?
A break in the active weather should be coming soon, but not something that will last for a long period of time. Take a look at late January (ending January 23). This may be the result of (temporary) northwest flow aloft, which tends to be drier for this area.
There will be more moisture coming heading into February:
The active southern jet stream that is responsible for our wet winter so far will keep at it heading into next month. Here's a preview of the first 22 days of February. Computer models are already suggesting that an early February storm seems likely with good chances for snow. It's unclear how impactful the system will be, but we'll keep an eye on it.
Snow forecast for the first 10 days of February:
Have a great day!
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