By MARK HANOK
After arctic cold and series
of snowstorms during
the past week, we’ll get into
a much milder weather pattern,
as the storm track
shifts to the west and the
very cold air stays from the
northern Rockies to the
northern Great Plains.
On Christmas Day a
storm system will lift north
of Lake Ontario and a westerly
flow will take over,
with variable cloudiness,
some sunshine, winds gusting
to over 30 mph, and a
few lake-effect snow showers;
highs from 35 to 40 degrees.
Skies will be partly sunny
with seasonably cold air
on Friday; highs in the mid-
30’s; most of the lake-effect
snow will stay in western
New York.
On Saturday another
low will track to our west
and bring a mild southwesterly
flow; in fact highs
will be in the upper 40’s
with occasional rain showers.
The mild air will continue
on Sunday with a few
rain showers in the morning,
then some partial sunshine
during the afternoon
and highs in the low 40’s.
A cold front will only
bring a return to seasonably
cold air on Monday,
with intervals of clouds and
sunshine, the chance of a
few snow showers and
highs from 35 to 40 degrees.
Temperatures will stay
at or above normal through
at least New Year’s Eve before
a colder weather pattern
returns to begin the
new year.
The first day of winter
was very wintry across
much of the nation, with
arctic high pressure from
western Canada to the
southern Great Plains on
Sunday.
The Alberta clipper
tracked quickly eastward
to Lake Huron while a secondary
low took shape to
the east of the Virginia
coast.
Snow continued all
morning in Otsego County,
with a 3” to 6” accumulation.
As the western storm
moved to Lake Ontario during
the afternoon, snow tapered
off to snow showers
and drier air pushed eastward
on the westerly flow
to the south of the low.
Mark Hanok is an Otegobased
meteorologist. You
can visit him on the World
Wide Web at http://members.
aol.com/weathergazette.
