We will experience the strongest wind gusts tonight and tomorrow since tropical storm Irene hit Connecticut on August 27th, 2011. The atmosphere is set up perfectly for a tight pressure gradient from a departing low and strong high pressure area moving in. As the low pressure deepens to our north and strengths there will be wind gusts of 50-60 mph or more at times. Example: When walking through the caverns of skyscrapers in New York City don’t you notice the high wind squeezed between the building? Same analogy with the high and low pressure areas. The closer the high and low pressure areas are together, the stronger the “pressure gradient”, and the stronger the winds. On weather maps, lines of constant pressure are drawn which are called “isobars”. These isobars are usually labeled with their pressure value in millibars.

Picture taken tonight in West Hartford at 5:49pm
This year’s February presents the biggest full moon super moon of 2019. From around the world, the moon will look plenty full to the eye on both February 18 and February 19 as it parades across the nighttime sky. It reaches the crest of its full phase on February 19 for much of the world. What’s a supermoon? It’s a popularized term for what astronomers call a perigean full moon. In other words, it’s a full moon near perigee, or closest to Earth for this month. This February 2019 full moon reaches its exact full phase closer to the time of perigee than any other full moon this year. Hence the year’s closest super moon.

The analomy of an arctic air front from the top of our world has a new catch phrase named “Polar Vortex”. A few winters ago meteorologists recalled an arctic invasion to the northern portions of the United States with a stylish name and it has stuck like a hockey puck in a goaltenders big glove. Yes, after the real feel of frigid air this week with sub zero temperatures another one has eyes on the northern mid-west to New England early next week. The brunt of this latest cold invasion will be felt throughout the Great Lakes region with New England standing on the eastern periphery, meaning temperatures will be 0-10 above zero in the morning instead of 10-20 below. But there’s something to consider being on the edge of this cold air mass, the storm track will be very closeby where cold fronts end and warm air masses merge. Keep shovels nearby and snowblowers primed.

It’s 2 short days before Christmas and we have already past the winter solstice on Friday making each day slowly getting a bit longer but the days will still get progressively colder for the next month. Christmas Eve may have a light covering of snow in the morning especially in northern Connecticut and the Litchfield hills. Just a nuisance event if any. The weather pattern looks to be in for change and very active after the New Year as the Polar Vortex will weaken some but in a position to open the arctic express to plunge southward over the eastern half of the United States. If the jet stream is able to reach far south enough it has a chance to gather Gulf of Mexico moisture and bring this moisture northward up the Atlantic coast. We will have several opportunities for significant snow through February. Stay tuned.
Happy Holidays from WeatherEast.

So here it goes…Clouds will thicken and lower on Monday Christmas Eve morning with snow breaking out by noon, becoming heavy at times in the afternoon. Our Connecticut landscape will be quickly covered in a mantle of new fresh snow by late Christmas Eve evening. Clearing skies and a full moon will make for a winter wonderland adorning the land. The moon will peak through the departing storm clouds giving all us a chance to see a sleigh with eight tiny reindeer using the bright night orb as a backdrop. We will awaken Christmas morning to a Christmas Card greeting through our frosted windows.
It may be a “fake forecast” but in our dreams it is so real. Perfect.