Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey Will Feel Like Spring Again
For those who don’t like cold winters, the past few weeks in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey have been tough. While much of November was above normal when it came to temperatures throughout the area, early December has been a different story. It’s been brutally cold and actually colder than normal for this time of year. That’s quite a break from the weather pattern we’ve been seeing for most of this year in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and throughout the U.S. Now, after a cold spell with arctic temperatures, the area is experiencing a warmup, but it won’t last for long.
Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey Weather Warmup
After lows in the teens and windchills well below zero for much of Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey, the area is experiencing a warmup. According to the experts a Weather.com, by Wednesday, all three states are expected to have temperatures in the 60s. Unfortunately, those nice, spring-like temperatures come with rain the forecast for the first part of the week. Looking towards the end of the week and into the weekend, temperatures will dip again with highs in the 40s and, at the warmest, 50s.
So, why have the past few weeks been so brutally cold? The area has been experiencing part of an arctic blast, which much of the country has also been experiencing. An arctic blast is when “very cold air in the Arctic is trapped inside a high-altitude swirl of winds called the polar vortex, which is surrounded by a lower-altitude band called the polar jet stream,” according to the experts at Scientific American. “If the polar vortex gets disrupted, however, the jet stream can become wavy and carry frigid air much farther south than usual in an Arctic blast.” So, when that happens, the arctic blast often bring snow, ice and extra cold temperatures. According to the crew at First Coast News, an arctic blast, which they say was “coined by the media,” means “a rapid southward push of cold air from the poles, extending beyond its usual reach. The phenomenon is linked to the current phase of the polar vortex or Arctic low within the Arctic Oscillation (AO).”
By the way, if you find yourself traveling to an area with a lot of snow this holiday season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce says to delay travel, if possible, until the storm passes. They also suggest enabling wireless emergency alerts on your phone, driving defensively and remaining calm.
