Overnight Showers Exiting, Temps return to low 60's Today

A massive storm is moving across the country with record snow and cold on one side, record heat and severe weather on the other.  The storm will be rather tame when it gets to New England but it will be miserable none the less- mid 40's and heavy rain on Friday.  Lets start with the big picture this morning.

The Big Picture
Watches and warnings are posted throughout the center of the country.  Severe weather watches and warnings will only be added to this today

NWS watches and warnings 

Here is the national radar

NWS national radar

On satellite the storm is impressive.  I've also added the surface fronts to the satellite imagery

GOES_E composite water vapor satellite 515 am

If you click on the image and enlarge it you can see a bump of Low Pressure near the PA/NJ/NY border.  This provided the rain overnight in Southern New England.  We are clear in SNE until tonight when another wave will push through.  Here is the surface chart without the satellite 

WPC surface analysis

There is a serious temperature contrast across the US

5 am 2 m temps (image weatherbell)

The Forecast

Here is what the upper air pattern is forecast to look like this afternoon.  First the jet stream

06z NAM 250 mb wind 2 PM (NCEP)

The blue streak rounding the trough in Texas will help to build the ridge back in the east for today.  Here is the 500 mb chart

06z NAM 500 mb 2 PM (NCEP)

Hard to see, but there is a max over Ohio that will bring another round of showers and thunderstorms overnight.  By Friday the dip in the jet will be into the Northeast which is why it will be 45 and raining.  It could be worse as cities in South Dakota have set all time snowfall records with this storm.  Anyway here are the high temperatures this afternoon in New England

08z RAP 2 m temps 4 PM (image weatherbell)

Those are 90's in NC, VA, and MD.  There will be a sea breeze this afternoon so the Cape, and all coastal communities will be a lot cooler than Worcester, Providence, Hartford etc.  The coast will be in the upper 40's/low 50's while inland will see mid to upper 60's.  Precipitation returns around 8 PM tonight

06z NAM mslp, precip (image weatherbell)

Thursday looks unsettled.  Isolated showers, thunderstorms will be possible until noon.  Then there will be partial clearing.  High temperatures will be in the upper 40's.  The actual high temperature for tomorrow is likely at midnight tonight so officially we will go down as low 50's.  Here is the EURO temps

00z EURO 2 m max temps 2 pm Thursday (image weatherbell)

The boundary that the low pressure waves have been riding along will stay well south of New England on Thursday

WPC surface forecast Thursday 8 am

Finally the long weekend (for some of us) starts off cold and wet.  By Friday 2 PM New England will get drenched with a cold wet rain.  Here is the 5 day precipitation forecast

WPC 5 day precipitation totals

Tomorrow will be ok for the Red Sox but tonight and Friday aren't looking so hot.  So how about some good news?  Well I like Marathon Monday and next week's forecast in general.  Some warmer air wants to work into Southern New England.  More on the weekend tomorrow, have a good day.