Indeed the coldest airmass this area has seen in probably a few years. Currently readings at 4am are -5 to zero in my Forecast Area. North of my FA in the N tier counties... readings are widespread -10 to -20F. This all under very strong surface high pressure anchored over Canada and 850mb temps around -20C locally within large E U.S. upper trough. Clear skies dominate the region, except along the immediate Lake Erie shoreline where light snow has been falling for much of the night and yesterday.

For today, expect a very cold day once again... with temps locally not getting out of the teens as 850 temps remain around -20/-21C. Tonight, WAA begins aloft... with a considerable rise in 850 temps. Skies appear to remain mo/clr for at least the first part of the night, except for some CI maybe. Combined with light winds, this will allow for a free-fall of temps beginning around sunset. Temps will probably get near or below zero again prior to 06Z, then as clds increase probably steady off, or possibly even rise a few degrees.

After a brief "warm" spell Monday, next item of interest comes later Tuesday... in the form of another arctic cold front. This cold front even more potent than the last one... with the coldest 850 core readings over Canada and northern New England reaching down below -40C!! Wow. As if the -28C core in the current cold wave isnt cold enough... this next one will be a real shocker to our friends just to the north. However, locally conditiond should be similar to yesterday and today... as 850 readings once again drop to around 20C. WED/THU look like frigid days. Low pressure center passing to our south later WED and THU needs to be watched... as it may throw moisture far enough north to give us a period of snow. Or it may also stay just south of us. Either way, left mention of any snow out of WED fcst, as GFS shows it would not arrive until WED night or THU anyway.

Forecaster: Drollinger