Snowstorm For The Northeast – National Weather Outlook For February 7, 2021

National Weather Forecast

On Sunday, a winter storm will be impacting portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast with heavy snow in some areas. Snow will also be possible from the Northern Rockies to the Central Plains and downwind of the Great Lakes. Rain and snow will be possible in the Pacific Northwest, with strong storms along the cold front in central/southern Florida.

Through Monday evening, several feet of snow is expected to fall across the Northern Rockies and the Cascades. Several inches of snow are expected to accumulate across the Central Plains to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, and downwind of the Great Lakes.

Here’s a closer look at the potential snow totals across the Northeast over the next few days. Areas like Philadephia, New York City, and Boston could see 4-7” of snow.

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Twin Cities Last Time With A Subzero High

The last time (before this cold stretch) that we saw a subzero high was back on January 31st, 2019, when the high only made it to -3F. If you expand that out to include 0F or below, the last time was back on March 3, 2019, with a high of 0F.

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Twin Cities Stretch Of At/Below Zero Hours

The good news is that this stretch of weather isn’t going to rival the record of the longest period at or below zero (in terms of hours) in the Twin Cities. The longest on record was back between December 31, 1911, and January 8, 1912, when the temperature stayed at/below zero for 186 hours! Read more from the State Climatology Department by clicking here.

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Twin Cities Consecutive Days Below +10F

Now, one place we could find ourselves in the record book is the number of consecutive days with a high below +10F. We did hit 11F on Friday, so Saturday would be the first day of our streak. Based on the current forecast, which keeps highs below +10F through Valentine’s Day next Sunday, that would be nine days in a row which would tie for the 11th longest streak on record. The most was 15 days in a row set four different times, most recently between December 1973 and January 1974.

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In California, a Warming Climate Will Help a Voracious Pest—and Hurt the State’s Almonds, Walnuts and Pistachios

More from Inside Climate News: “California almond farmers enjoyed record-breaking harvests over the last five years, after production dipped in the wake of 2014’s historic drought. That year a chorus of headlines vilified almonds for sucking up a gallon of water per nut, though irrigation efficiency has been improving. Now, as global temperatures rise, a caterpillar barely the size of a paper clip may threaten California’s position as the world’s leading producer of almonds, walnuts and pistachios. In a study published in Science of the Total Environment’s February issue (and online in October), researchers from three University of California campuses reported that warmer growing seasons will give the navel orangeworm an extra generation to eat into growers’ profits.”

California’s famed Highway 1 collapsed last week. It’s sure to happen again

More from The Guardian: “California’s Highway 1 has been ruptured by a landslide that is expected to keep 23 miles of the iconic road snaking through the state’s rugged coastal cliffs closed for months. A severe winter rain storm last week caused a 150ft fissure along the picturesque thoroughfare tucked against Big Sur, with concrete, trees and mud falling into the sea below. It’s not the first time. Landslides have been a longstanding feature of Highway 1. And with climate change and a deluge in tourism and traffic overwhelming both infrastructure and environmental ecosystems in the coastal region, the problems are only expected to get worse.”

How air pollution may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease

More from Science Daily: “Tiny particles of air pollution — called fine particulate matter — can have a range of effects on health, and exposure to high levels is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. New research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) reveals that fine particulate matter has a detrimental impact on cardiovascular health by activating the production of inflammatory cells in the bone marrow, ultimately leading to inflammation of the arteries. The findings are published in the European Heart Journal. The retrospective study included 503 patients without cardiovascular disease or cancer who had undergone imaging tests at MGH for various medical reasons. The scientists estimated participants’ annual average fine particulate matter levels using data obtained from the U.S. Environment Protection Agency’s air quality monitors located closest to each participant’s residential address.”

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Thanks for checking in and have a great day! Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter (@dkayserwx) and like me on Facebook (Meteorologist D.J. Kayser).

– D.J. Kayser