Winter settles in: More snow on the way; below normal temperatures reign

Get ready for a cold, snowy, and active period. 

That’s the current assessment of John Homenuk, lead forecaster at New York Metro Weather.

“The pattern over the next few weeks will remain cold, with temperatures well below normal,” Homenuk said. “With the polar vortex parked to our north over Eastern Canada, multiple disturbances will rotate around it, creating several chances for light snow events.” 

With cold air in place, any storm “brings a threat of snow,” tweeted Gary Szatkowski, head meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, NJ. 

The next week “could be one of the coldest week periods in recent memory,” Homenuk said, adding that it would be an “impressive duration of widespread cold.” 

Homenuk breaks down the upcoming snow threats:

The first, on Saturday, looks to feature snow squalls with an arctic frontal passage and the potential for light accumulations in some areas.
Following that, a slightly stronger clipper system tracking through the Northeast United States from Sunday into Monday is likely to lay down a swath of light to moderate snowfall just north of its track — but the track remains uncertain.
With the polar vortex just to our north, the disturbances rotating around it will create multiple chances for light snowfall.

But Homenuk cautions that each threat is a dynamic situation. 

“Forecast models are going to struggle immensely with these disturbances and their evolution, as they originate from area where data ingestion is very sparse,” he said. 

If you’re already sick of winter, the local National Weather Service office offers a reminder.

“Just think, March is about a month away, and by January 31, we will have gained about 45 minutes of afternoon daylight from the winter solstice.”