Winter has Finally Arrived!

After a warmer than average December that saw mostly above freezing temperatures and virtually no snow, we have finally caught winter’s gaze. We saw an ice storm coat the region on Saturday, snow covered the ice on Sunday, and the forecast for the upcoming week predicts below freezing temperatures every single day.

The weather channel has named this system “Winter Storm Gorgon”. Basically, the jet stream is dipping south, letting the cold northern air to spill south with it, pulling temperatures down into single digit lows for the whole week, and bringing light snow along. Wednesday is predicted to be the coldest for the week, with an 11 degree high and a 1 degree low. Since last month averaged a 37 degree high and a 27 degree low, that’s going to be a pretty stark drop for Manchester.

This kind of late start to winter is more consistent with recent winters over the last decade, and is only surprising because of the epic winter we had last year. This week last year, 10 inches of snow had just fallen on Wurster Park and school was set to miss a record number of days. This year we just have regular winter.

January 2014 snowstorm photo. 2015 is probably not going to look like this.

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by Fritz Swanson

Fritz Swanson has written for The Believer, the Christian Science Monitor, Print Magazine, McSweeney's, Esopus, LSA Magazine, and The Mid-American Review. He serves as a trustee on the Manchester District Library Board. He's the designer and publisher of The Manchester Mirror.

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