Mild and windy with showers this morning! Arctic front will cross the area around noon followed by brutally cold Arctic air! Dangerously cold on Saturday with wind chills well below zero! Not as harsh on Christmas Day but still temperatures will be well below normal! Dry much of next week with a slow moderation in temperatures!


Good morning everyone!

Rain is falling over much of the area early on this Friday morning and temperatures are unseasonably mild with early readings ranging from 55 in Clifton down to 40 at Walpack and Wantage. Winds are gusty out of the south.

CLIFTON’S ALMANAC FOR DECEMBER 23RD:

AVERAGE HIGH: 41 AVERAGE LOW: 23

RECORD HIGH: 60 – 2015 RECORD LOW: -1 – 1989

YESTERDAY’S HIGH: 46 LOW: 29 PRECIPITATION: .35″

A very strong storm is moving through the Great Lakes region with its associated warm front & will move through our area around sunrise. Some showers will accompany the warm front but then we should have a break in the rain after sunrise. The Arctic front will cross the area around noon followed by a strong westerly flow of much colder air. Temperatures in the 50s this morning will rapidly fall to the teens by this evening and single digits by early tomorrow morning. Gusty winds to 45 mph. The cold front will be accompanied by some showers and possibly a thunderstorm. The showers may briefly change to snow early this afternoon with a dusting possible mainly further inland. There is a potential for a flash freeze but the winds may dry us out before the bitter cold moves in.

Saturday will be bitterly cold with dangerous wind chills. Highs will only be in the teens and with gusty winds will bring wind chill values well below zero.

Christmas Day will not be as harsh with less wind and somewhat milder temperatures with highs in the 20s.

An extended period of dry weather with a slow moderation in temperatures much of next week.

Looking further ahead much milder air will be with us for the New Year’s weekend with continued dry conditions. Highs should be in the 50s.

THE FORECAST:

TODAY – DEC 23 – Rain showers this morning changing to snow showers before ending early this afternoon. Early highs in the 50s will fall to near 20 by sunset. Winds south then becoming westerly this afternoon gusting to 45 mph, a wind advisory is in effect.

TONIGHT: Partly cloudy and bitterly cold low near 7, winds gusting to 40 mph diminishing to 30 mph after midnight. Wind chills down to -10 degrees.

SATURDAY – DEC 24 – Mostly sunny and bitterly cold, highs only in the teens, winds gusting to 30 mph, wind chills down to -12.

CHRISTMAS DAY – DEC 25 – Sunny and breezy but not as frigid, high in the upper 20s.

MONDAY – DEC 26 – Sunny, high in the low 30s.

TUESDAY – DEC 27 – Mostly sunny, high in the mid 30s.

WEDNESDAY – DEC 28 – Mostly sunny, high in the upper 30s.

THURSDAY – DEC 29 – Partly sunny, high in the upper 40s.

MARINE FORECAST: A gale warning is in effect until 6 p.m. Saturday evening for southerly winds becoming westerly this afternoon gusting to 50 knots, seas 8-13 feet.

OUTLOOK: Small craft advisories expected on Christmas Day; no advisories expected for Monday and Tuesday.

With this frigid weather expected please stay safe and warm!

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