A storm system that brought wintry weather to the Upper Midwest this weekend entered the Northeast Sunday morning and provided Stony Brook with its first snowfall of the 2007-2008 season.
The storm system, which was blamed for 16 deaths in the Upper Midwest and Northeast, dropped 0.6 inches of snow in Stony Brook until precipitation switched over to rain late Sunday night. Winter weather advisory was in effect for Nassau County, Suffolk County and the boroughs of New York City through Sunday night as snow showers fell throughout the day. Other rainfall amounts on Long Island ranged from only two tenths of an inch in Shoreham to 1.8 inches in Oceanside in Nassau County, according to a statement posted on the website of the National Weather Service’s Upton, NY office.
Behind this system would be gusty winds that affected the region through Tuesday afternoon. Winds approaching 25 miles per hour (mph) were recorded in observations Monday night at Farmingdale’s Republic Airport, Islip’s MacArthur Airport and Shirley’s Brookhaven Airport. Some gusts up to 35 and 40 mph were also reported as well at these locations. This would cause some delays at area airports and as well as contribute to isolated power outages across Long Island. However, these winds would diminish as the region was removed from the effects of a vigorous and exiting upper level disturbance on Tuesday afternoon. The strong northwest flow also had a hand in the brief snow showers that gave Stony Brook a light dusting on Tuesday.
Some snow flurries associated with an Alberta clipper system also fell in some areas during parts of Wednesday but fortunately did not complicate affairs very much as little to no accumulation occurred. In the meantime, temperatures would remain between five and ten degrees below normal temperatures through Wednesday. These frigid conditions are expected to continue until Saturday, when relatively warmer air finally makes its way into Stony Brook and pushes high temperatures back into the 40s.
Those looking for more wintry weather in the coming months may not be satisfied by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) forecast of a likely warmer than normal winter. The outlook, which was issued on November 15th, is based on various atmospheric and climatic patterns as well as simulated data from complex computer models of processes between the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans. One of the ocean-atmosphere patterns that played a significant role in this season’s forecast was the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The oscillation, measured by fluctuations in the sea surface temperatures off the coast of Peru and other points in the eastern Pacific Ocean, is known to have effects on weather conditions throughout both North and South America. The oscillation is currently in its La Nina phase, which provides a favorable setting for slightly warmer than normal temperatures and slightly drier than normal conditions in the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Northeast.
The outlook is echoed by forecasters at the private weather prediction company, AccuWeather. According to a forecast posted on the company’s website on Monday afternoon, they predict a favorable chance for a warmer winter in a good portion of United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Despite these forecasts for a warmer winter, people should prepare themselves as periodic changes of weather trends are to be expected throughout the season, and wintry weather is definitely within the realm of possibility.
