Good Friday to one and all. The month of February is a fickle month and can feature some major changes… We’ve seen it many times before. This February looks no different as a major pattern change to winter is on the way by the middle of the month.
Winter lovers have to be patient as this we are still a week to 10 days away from that happening and things look pretty mild during that time.
Highs today range from the middle 40s north and northeast to the middle 50s south and west. From there, the weekend turns really nice with 50s for Saturday with 55-60 possible Sunday. That’s also when a shower or two may graze far southwestern parts of the state.
Temps may come down a bit for Monday and Tuesday before bouncing back up to near 60 later in the week. That’s when the core of this mega ridge across the northern part of the country migrates into the Great Lakes.
Look at this paint bomb of above normal temps…
Wanna see a monster pattern reversal? Look at the paint bomb of colder than normal colors centered right on top of us exactly one week later…
In between those two maps will likely be a couple big systems that unleash the cold air. The first could bring thunderstorms. The second could bring snow.
For those of us who take the time to actually forecast, this pattern has been well advertised for weeks now. The EURO Weeklies from Mid-February to Mid-March show major blocking from Greenland through the North Pole and then hooking up with a ridge up the west coast of North America. The end result is a series of deep troughs bringing winter to much of the eastern half of the country.
The 30 day average 500mb height anomaly map from the EURO is impressive…
The Control Run is even more impressive…
The 101 members of the EURO Weeklies also think some snow falls during this time period…
The CFS is also showing this winter pattern very well from the middle of February through the middle of March. The latest 30 day temp departure is just a wee bit cold…
As I’ve been saying, hang tough, winter weather weenies.
Updates later today. Have a good one and take care.
“For those of us who take the time to actually forecast, this pattern has been well advertised for weeks now.”
Oh Dash….. 😉
I wonder how far below normal will it be when the cold air arrives?
Thanks Chris. After a cloudy, gloomy period we will be bless with a string of mild and sunny days. My bold prediction is that we will have six more weeks of winter.
Happy Groundhog day 2024 !
Phil didn’t see his shadow but he’s a rodent not a meteorologist.
Chicago’s O’Hare Airport reached 55 degrees on Thursday, just one degree short of the all-time record high for the date set in 1968. The NWS Forecast Office in the SW Suburbs hit 52 degrees.
It’s a sunny day again today but with cooler readings in the low 40s thanks to a chilly NE wind off Lake Michigan.
Despite the nine days of extreme, brutal cold in January, which saw O’Hare Airport have three days in a row of high temperatures under five degrees for the first time since 1996, the month actually averaged slightly above normal (1.1 degrees per day). https://weather.gov/lot/January2024