Because the nation powers through a deadly arctic outbreak that brought sub-zero readings to the northern tier of the country and a tough freeze, not seen in several years, to the South, frigid residents is perhaps clamoring for a break.
It appears Mother Nature will oblige.
NOAA’s 8-14 day temperature outlook issued Monday for the ultimate days of 2022 shows a colossal pattern flip that may take the whole Lower 48 states out of the ice box and warm things up a bit.
Forecasters are highly confident of above-average temperatures between Dec. 28 and Jan. 3 across much of the West, the western Plains, and the Northeast, with barely less confidence — but still a quite robust signal — for above-average temperatures across the Southwest and much Southeast.
That doesn’t mean breaking out the shorts, nevertheless it could mean, for instance, high temperatures within the Northern Plains reaching near or above freezing, when average highs are within the low-mid 20s. Or put one other way, a welcome sight to see a ’25’ or ’30’ with out a minus sign up front of it.
The Great Lakes area, fresh off its blizzard this week, could rebound into the 40s and 50s, with Latest England seeing highs climbing solidly back into the 50s.
Even Florida, which is forecast to be coming off its coldest Christmas in over 30 years, will likely warm back into more Florida-like temperatures that average within the upper 60s and 70s this time of 12 months. Parts of Texas look to climb back into the 70s too.
The forty ninth State will feel some relative warmth – at the least within the Alaska Panhandle, where after temperatures have been flirting with zero this week, they need to claw back into the 30s next week. Western Alaska is the lone spot in America predicted to have below-average temperatures to ring in 2023.
NOAA’s precipitation outlook doesn’t indicate that it can be a “dry heat,” as confidence is leaning toward a coinciding above-average period of precipitation, particularly within the Northwest.