AT LEAST ONE MORE RECORD DAY -- Warm weather was found across much of the East and South on Thursday. However, southerly and southwesterly winds ahead of an advancing cold front meant that the Northeast experienced unseasonably warm conditions. High temperatures across the Northeast were as much as 30 degrees above the average highs for early December. High temperature records were either tied or set at in New Jersey at Newark (74 degrees), Atlantic City (73 degrees Airport and 68 degrees State Marina) and Trenton (72 degrees); in Delaware at Wilmington (72 degrees); in New York State at Syracuse (72 degrees), Central Park in New York City (71 degrees), Albany, Massena and Rochester (all 68 degrees); in Connecticut at Windsor Locks (74 degrees) and Bridgeport (67 degrees); in Rhode Island at Providence (69 degrees); in Massachusetts at Boston (72 degrees), Blue Hill Observatory in Milton (70 degrees) and Worchester (67 degrees); in New Hampshire at Concord (72 degrees); in Vermont at Montpelier (67 degrees), Burlington (64 degrees) and St. Johnsbury (61 degrees); in Maine at Portland (71 degrees), Bangor (63 degrees) and Caribou (56 degrees). Record setting warmth is not expected across the region on Friday as a cold front has reached the Eastern Seaboard.
Elsewhere, record high temperatures were reached on Thursday at Tampa, FL (83 degrees), Atlanta, GA (75 degrees) and Chanute (66 degrees).
ALONG THE FRONT -- Northern portions of the cold front that had moved across the Great Lakes on Wednesday night continued eastward and was located off the New England coast by Thursday night. This cold front trailed from a low pressure system that had intensified as it moved northeastward from Minnesota to northern Quebec. Farther south the front stalled to become a stationary front that stretched from the New York City metropolitan area southwestward to central Texas. An elongated band of rainshowers was found along the stationary front, extending from southern New England to Arkansas. The intensity of this precipitation had diminished from Wednesday night.
A weak area of low pressure is expected to develop along the western end of the front and then move toward the northeast on Friday. As a result, nearly one inch of rain is forecast to fall over the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys during the 24 hours starting on Friday morning.
WAITING FOR THE COLD AIR -- Despite the passage of the cold front that was accompanied by a marked drop in temperature from the records of Wednesday, much of the Midwest had high temperatures on Thursday that were at least 15 degrees above average. However, a second cold front moved southward across the northern Plains into the Upper Midwest and represented the leading edge of colder air. High temperatures across North Dakota in the cold air behind this next cold front were on the order of 14 degrees below the average highs for the date. As of Thursday night this cold front had moved southward across Iowa, followed by a cold high pressure cell that was centered over northwestern Minnesota. Some widely scattered light snow over northeastern Wisconsin and western Nebraska accompanied this front.
The cold front is expected to dissipate on Friday. However, a band of snowshowers is expected to move eastward into the western Great Lakes.
WINTER IN THE ROCKIES -- Widely scattered areas of snow continued across the mountains of the West on Thursday night. Some of the snow was locally heavy. In addition to the snow strong winds were causing blowing and drifting snow conditions. Winter storm warnings and advisories were posted across southwestern Wyoming, northern Utah, southern Idaho and northern Colorado. As much as a foot of new snow is expected over the Uinta and Wasatch mountains of northern Utah and southern Idaho by late Friday, while in the mountains of northern Colorado, up to 7 inches of snow could fall through the morning hours along with winds to 40 mph.
FOGGY CONDITIONS -- Dense fog was beginning to develop late Thursday night because of a combination of nighttime radiational cooling and sufficient moisture across portions of the Gulf Coast and the lower Mississippi Valley. As a result of the reduced visibility, dense fog advisories were found in the western Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama, southern Mississippi, Louisiana, the Texas Gulf Coast, Arkansas and west Tennessee.
SANTA ANA WINDS EXPECTED -- High pressure was beginning to build across the Great Basin from the west. By Friday evening a large high pressure cell with a central pressure of nearly 1040 mb should be located over northern Nevada. A relatively tight pressure gradient is anticipated to develop along the southern flank of the high resulting in relatively strong east to northeast winds across the Southwest. As of late Thursday night winds in some of the passes and canyons of southern California had gusts that reached speeds of 57 mph. By Friday Santa Ana winds should be felt across much of the region. Wind advisories have been posted through Saturday morning for southern California where Santa Ana winds of up to 35 mph with gusts to 55 mph are expected.
UPPER AIR --The flow pattern on both the 500 and 300 mb constant pressure charts for 00Z Friday indicates a relatively zonal flow across the northern portion of the country, with prevailing westerly winds and little deflections to the north or south. A height trough that extends across the Southwest causes winds over central and southern California to be deflected to the south before curving to the northeast over the southern Rockies. This trough is associated with the cooler air over the West.
YESTERDAY'S TEMPERATURE EXTREMES IN THE LOWER 48 -- The lowest temperature on Thursday was 11 degrees below zero at Williston, ND. Thursday's highest temperature was 84 degrees at Brooksville, Sarasota and Winter Haven, FL.
ALASKAN WEATHER -- A ridge of high pressure extended across northern Alaska from the Arctic Ocean and the Chukchi Sea. As a result, an arctic air mass remained across much of the state. Subzero temperatures were reported across the interior during the early afternoon, with the lowest at Denali Park (36 degrees below zero). A strong storm system located over the northeastern Gulf of Alaska south of Cordova was responsible for snow across southeast Alaska. A stationary front extended eastward along the coast. A cold front trailed westward across the Gulf and the North Pacific before curving northwestward across the Alaska Peninsula into the Bering Sea. Yakutat reported 17 inches of snow during the 24 hours ending on Thursday afternoon, while 11 inches fell at the Sitka Fire Station.
The lowest overnight temperature in Alaska on Thursday morning was 37 degrees below zero at Northway, while the mid-afternoon highest statewide temperature was 41 degrees at Annette.
HAWAIIAN WEATHER -- A subtropical ridge of high pressure located over the North Pacific to the northeast of Hawaii maintained northeast trade winds across the islands on Thursday. These winds have weakened slightly from earlier in the week, however, as high pressure is anticipated to build northeast of the islands, stronger trade winds should be expected over the weekend. Some clouds and isolated showers should also prevail through the weekend.
Ocean swell generated earlier in the week by a storm well to the northwest of the islands reached the northwest facing beaches of Kauai and Oahu on Thursday morning and produced 10 to 15 foot surf. As a result, high surf advisories were posted for the northwest shores of the islands. With moderate trade winds, four to eight foot surf continued along the east facing beaches, induced by these trades traveling over a long fetch. High surf advisories were continued for the east facing beaches. Small craft advisories remained in effect for state waters.
REPORTS FROM THE FIELD -- Mark Seeley, a LIT member and climatologist with the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, reported on Wednesday's record setting weather in the Upper Midwest. He noted that the Mississippi River cities of Winona and Red Wing reached 64 degrees, setting a new state record high for the date. In addition, the Twin Cities reported a dewpoint of 58 degrees which is a new record high dewpoint for the month of December.
Editor's Note: Janesville and Waukesha in Wisconsin reported temperatures of 70 degrees on Wednesday, which set all-time high temperature records for the month of December in the Badger State.
A big "Thank You" is extended to all correspondents who contributed to this Reports from the Field section during the fall. Your reports have been interesting and they serve as a reminder to "keep a weather eye out". EJH
STAY TUNED! -- While today is the official end of the fall 2001 DataStreme course, a Daily Weather Summary will be posted for each day next week, 10-14 December 2001. We hope that you continue reading them. If you plan on taking leave of us with this Summary, have a happy and safe holiday season! DataStreme Daily Summaries and Activity files will return with the Spring 2002 DataStreme course during Preview Week on Monday, 21 January 2002. EJH
From the files of the Aviation Weather Center, Kansas City, MO and Intellicast