The cold temperatures this morning might be a shock to your system, but not that unusual for late November. It’s just that this month is running 5.5°F above average. At 6 AM, the airport reached 30°F for the second time this month, and the coldest spot nearby was 21°F in York, PA. The average low at Baltimore’s BWI is 35°F (and typically colder west and north of the city). Reaching 29°F would match the cold mark we hit on October 19th. The next coldest was 21°F on March 29th. So to answer the question, if we reach 28°F or lower, it would be the coldest in 239 days. If it doesn’t happen this morning it should tomorrow. For the record, the actual record low temperature today was 16°F set in 1880. We are not even close, just getting a dose… of reality.

This cold shot comes in a dry pattern, and eventually the wind will shift and the temperatures will warm back up.  Here is a look at the 500mb jet stream heights. This measures the altitude of that pressure level and relates to the temperature.  In short, the cold pocket over the eastern US will move out as the jet stream flips this week. By Thanksgiving we will get back above normal, and the big Friday shopping day could bring back the 60s.

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Here is the break down of temperatures we expect this week. Notice the big bounce by Friday, only a slight cool back down next weekend.

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Chip KidWxDevicesGet the award winning Kid Weather App I made with my oldest son and support our love for science, weather, and technology. Our 3 year anniversary of the release and our contribution to STEM education is this November. It has been downloaded in 60 countries, and works in both temperature scales. With your support we can expand on the fun introduction to science and real weather.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]