May snow and unprecedented frosts: a sharp cooling in the northeast of the USA

An unusually cold spring is about to become even more shocking, because cold air, humidity and polar vortices will lead to the formation of completely non-seasonal conditions in different parts of the northeastern United States. Meteorologists AccuWeather They said that in the near future there will come a period of frost and snowfall, which does not meet the standards for such a late season.

Photo: Shutterstock

The weather in the next few days may seem unrealistic and completely unpleasant after the warmest weekend of the season. After the temperature in New York did not exceed 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 Celsius) in April for the first time in 80 years, according to the National Meteorological Service (NWS), on May 3, the temperature rose to 80 degrees (26,6 Celsius) .

Unfortunately, for gardeners who enjoyed the good weather last weekend and started sowing, changing weather conditions to be more suitable for March than for May can be shocking. Episodes of frosty temperatures are predicted for parts of the north-east of the country until mid-May.

"Get ready to cover or bring indoors sensitive plants you purchased during last weekend's wave of warm weather," said Paul Pastelok, lead meteorologist for AccuWeather.

Low temperatures from 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit (from -6 to -1 Celsius) are not uncommon until mid-May in most of the northeast, except for coastal areas. In fact, the last frost usually occurs between mid-late May in most of the region.

“The problem is that some people may have started planting summer vegetables and annual flowers,” Pastelok said.

The large-scale pattern for the region for the next week looks to continue to remain much cooler than normal for this time of year. The blue colors in this single model forecast represent much lower temps & heights aloft meaning below average temps at the surface. pic.twitter.com/LYGLQp6Cts

- NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) May 6, 2020

A forecast for the next 10 days could mean disaster for some gardeners, farmers, and winemakers. Falling temperatures could damage sensitive stocks, recently bought plants, vineyards, and orchards, said Pastelok, whose forecasting team monitors how the weather affects the agricultural industry.

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But the truly non-seasonal part of the weather will be cold days and evenings and the likelihood of snowfall in some areas. When the core of the mass of cold air comes into its own, the maximum temperature in New York on the weekend of May 9 and 10 may be 50 degrees (10 C) instead of 70 (21 C), which is the average value for the date.

It is predicted that during the weekend in Fairbanks, Alaska, temperatures will be higher than in New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland and even Atlanta due to the cold weather in the region.

“There will be more than just frost, there will be snow and even accumulation in some areas of the Northeast,” Pastelok said.

The first light snow will fall on Wednesday, May 6, when several snowflakes mix with the air in the highest terrain in central Appalachia, while it will rain in most of the rest of the region.

More common and significant snowfall seems likely in a couple of days.

"Snow accumulation will likely occur late Friday (May 8) and Saturday (May 9) from higher elevations in New York State and northern Pennsylvania into northwestern Connecticut, western Massachusetts and southern portions of Vermont and New Hampshire." - said Pastelok.

Photo: twitter.com/NWSPittsburgh

In some areas that are slightly outside the area designated by Pastelock, at least light snow and even light snow with persistent snow cover on non-paved surfaces can also occur. Some residents in northern Ohio, southwestern Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, northern New Jersey, and southern New England may notice snowflakes before the cold subsides in the afternoon.

There is a chance of rain and snow around Boston and a slight likelihood of the same in New York or, at least, in the northern and western suburbs.

Pastelock explained that between May 9 and 13, two southern storm systems will enter the region from the south along with a stream of cold air from Canada. The second system can go from west to east through the lower Great Lakes to New England from Monday to Tuesday of the following week (May 11-12).

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Smaller snowfalls may continue until the weather pattern disappears or shifts in the middle of the month.

“It's like a late spring version of a polar vortex. If the same pattern occurred during January and February with a strong blockage in the jet stream, we would be in a deep freeze with frequent snow storms in the eastern United States,” Pastelok explained.

Snowfalls of the late season in the distant past occurred according to the same pattern. For example, on May 25, 1925, 0,5 inches (1,27 cm) of snow fell in Pittsburgh, and measurable snowfalls occurred in Buffalo, New York on May 20, 1907. However, at the end of the season, snowfalls usually occur in relatively small geographical areas.

The most unusual thing about the coming snowfall is that it can fall over a vast area along a strip of approximately 500 miles (more than 800 km) from northern Ohio to eastern New England.

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