Mid-Winter Thaw Coming for Long Island

It's about to get a little warm on Long Island – temperatures will head above normal for the rest of the week as the arctic air mass loosen its grip on our area.

A warmer air mass is about to force its way into the eastern seaboard, bringing temperatures above normal for mid-January, let alone mid-winter, with a few days in the week ahead hitting highs around 50° and lows only dropping to around 35° at night.

The temperatures are caused by a ridge in the polar jet stream, which normally serves up cold weather and storms towards the northeast during this time of year. The ridge is being pushed back north by a powerful high pressure over the tropics, blowing warmer air up from the south and towards the eastern United States.

January is normally the coldest month of the year, averaging a high temperature of 39° in Babylon throughout the month.

While temperatures will make it feel like springtime, records are not likely to be broken – The Weather Channel reports the record high for Babylon in January is 69°.

The National Weather Service extended forecast shows mostly sunny conditions over Long Island throughout the rest of the week, with highs in the mid to upper 40's from Tuesday to Thursdays and peaking around 50 degrees on Friday and Saturday.

The warming trend, however, is not expected to last. Long-range forecasting models show the warm air escaping the region by January 15, bringing the frigid arctic air behind it – enjoy the thaw while you can!