Across Central New Jersey this morning, the drop in temperature was quite impressive. Somerville, Somerset County dropped to 9 degrees below zero. Such a drop is extraordinary for New Jersey and is without a doubt record smashing. This was recorded at 6:53 this morning.
Conditions across the State of New Jersey became ideal for radiational cooling to occur overnight. The clouds thinned much faster than anticipated and skies became clear. The winds also became calm which was also lower than anticipated. But in Central New Jersey, where these below zero values were recorded, there was snow cover over a widespread area from the winter weather event that occurred late last week. Nobody forecasted such a drop in temperature last night across Central New Jersey.
What may even may more phenomenal then the low minimum is the rise in temperature in the span of one hour this morning in Somerville. The temperature climbed from 6 degrees below zero to fifteen degrees between 7:53 a.m. and 8:53 a.m. this morning. That is a 21 degree rise in temperature in one hour!
Morrisville also went down to eight degrees below zero this morning. The temperature climbed from one degree to seventeen degrees in the span of one hour. That is a climb of 16 degrees in one hour.
Tonight into Monday Morning was expected and still is expected to be the coldest night of the season for everyone in New Jersey. It is also expected to be a night of record-smashing low temperatures. These drops last night suggest that even lower temperatures could occur should the ideal conditions of calm winds, clear skies, and arctic air be in place overnight. I think the biggest obstacle to overcome tonight will be the wind. We need that wind to be calm, which is looking at this moment as a good possibility. We will have the clear skies and reinforcement of arctic air.
Later today I will have more on the mid-week storm. It is looking like the bulk of this storm may happen on Wednesday now.
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