By MARK HANOK
Thanks to the wild
northwesterly jet stream
that continues to bring arctic
air far to the south from
northern Canada to the
southeastern states, while
a stationary high covers the
western third of the nation
and brings record warmth
from California to Montana,
we’ll get generally dry
weather in Otsego County.
This has been a very cold
January, as the highest
temperature so far this
month— only 35 degrees
on the 5th at our weather
station in Otego.
In fact, this has been the
coldest January in six
years.
During the upcoming
week the same pattern will
continue, as the West stays
unusually mild and below
normal temperatures continue
in the Northeast.
The combination of the
extreme “reverse temperature
anomaly” and the
ocean storm southeast of
Nantucket on Tuesday, will
ensure that precipitation
will be well below normal
through at least the end of
this month.
Of course, we’ll still get
the usual nighttime and
early morning inch or two
of snow on occasion, but
each day will feature at
least partly sunny skies.
On Friday we’ll get a
one-day January thaw,
with a southwest flow
ahead of another cold front.
With partly sunny skies,
highs will be in the mid-
30’s.
A colder northwest flow
will take over on Saturday
with partly sunny skies and
a few snow showers; highs
15 to 20 degrees.
Very cold, very dry
weather will prevail on
Sunday, with mostly sunny
skies and highs only in the
teens.
After the chance of light
snow Sunday night, a large
arctic high over northern
New England, will maintain
very dry air on Monday,
while a storm brings
snow not far to our south;
skies will be partly sunny
with highs around 20 degrees.
Bright sunshine will
take over on Tuesday with
highs in the low 20’s.
Mark Hanok is an Otego based
meteorologist.
