Northern Most Hurricane EVER!

Hurricane Joaquin is still churning out in the open Atlantic more than 14 days since it become a tropical depression on September 28th in the Caribbean.

The official track from the NHC has it sustaining tropical characteristics through the upcoming weekend as it tracks as it approaches Europe.

This had me wondering what the furthest NORTH any hurricane has traveled. The award goes to Hurricane Faith in 1966. This system started out off the coast of western Africa, headed toward the Caribbean then north off the coast of the U.S. then out to sea. It lasted 26 days and traveled more than 6800 miles. 

What I find fascinating is that according to the official track data (wind, position and date) it held hurricane strength over incredibly cold water. The hurricane crossed into water below 20 degrees Celsius off the coast of Nova Scotia yet it stayed at category 2 strength for another two and a half days.

WATER TEMPERATURE IN CELSIUS

The storm didn't officially weaken until it reached the north of Great Britain where the water temperatures dropped to between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius. The "X" marks the approximate location where Hurricane faith was downgraded to a tropical storm....yet it continued as an extra tropical storm/low into Scandinavia for another week!

The National Hurricane Center has a great summary on the hurricane season that year. They show a  map of Faith denoting its movement into the arctic north of the Arctic Circle into the Soviet Union then north into the Barents Sea where water temperatures were barely above freezing.

Air temperatures were in the 30s and 40s.

It finally ended its journey over an uninhabited island chain north of the Arctic Circle around 600 miles from the North Pole.

Arctic Cold Morning Monday - More On The Way

Clear skies, dry air, relatively calm winds and heavy snow cover are the ingredients for arctic cold temperatures.

MANY AREAS LOWER THAN -20

Automated reporting stations as of 6AM.

A FEW NOTES ON THIS MORNING'S COLD:

* OFFICIAL LOW AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE AT HOPKINS AIRPORT WAS -12 BETWEEN 6 AND 7AM.  BROKE THE RECORD OF -8 SET IN 1904.

* COLDEST MORNING LOW SINCE 2009

* 2ND COLDEST LOW TEMPERATURE AFTER FEBRUARY 15TH SINCE 1963

* WHAT WAS THE COLDEST TEMP LAST WINTER?:  -11

SOME ADDITIONAL STATS BELOW

Record low across the eastern US fell starting Sunday.

We could see two more nights below zero especially Thursday night into Friday morning.

Arctic Overnight Lows Wednesday Morning

Lake Erie ice from 3 miles offshore

Three ingredients promote huge temperature drops in winter: Clear skies, calm winds and snow cover. We had all three Wednesday morning.  Here are the official web weather spy reports on our blog!

Temperatures as of 8am:

Coldest region was as area between Lorain, New London and Medina.

I was originally cautions on this temperature reading of -18 reported from the Kipton, Ohio automated station in southern Lorain county. Given the other temperatures surrounding it, it's definitely possible.

Here are some reports/temperature photos from viewers.

Elyria

Grafton, Twsp

Huron

Portage Lakes

Plymouth

Rome

Sandusky

Bath

Current Radar Loops - Freezing Rain, Steady Rain, Arctic Air

Spotty freezing (rain that hits the ground and freezes on untreated surfaces) will be mixed in with general rain this morning. The transition to all rain will continue by late morning as temperatures climb into the upper 30s, lower 40s by mid afternoon.

Rainfall amounts will be significant. See graphic below.




Current OHIO temperatures


Current Ohio Valley radar loop

Temps will climb into the 50s tonight and early Sunday then drop by late afternoon.

Arctic air returns next week with lake effect on Monday, General "Clipper Snow" Tuesday for all of northern Ohio (several inches very possible) then more lake effect Wednesday and early Thursday. Its not only Cleveland and northern Ohio. Much of the eastern 2/3rds of the US will experience temperatures similar to last January.

Lake Erie water temperature is 37. Typically we need an approximately 23 degree temperature difference (Fahrenheit scale) between the lake water and the air aloft (5000 foot level) for lake effect to develop. That puts the threshold at 14 degrees Fahrenheit at 5000 feet. By Wednesday of next week, the temperature will drop to -9!  Again, this is all in Fahrenheit.  (-22 to -25 for meteorological purposes in northern Ohio). For comparison, the "Polar Vortex" event last January had a 5000 foot temperature (850 mB) of -23.

Daytime highs might stay in the single digits Thursday according to one projection.

I hesitate to give snowfall projections this far out. But considering that the extended models have been very consistent with this arctic air or late (some too warm; some too far west with the cold), posting a preliminary snow forecast seem reasonable. TUESDAY'S CLIPPER could drop between 2-4"+ across northern Ohio.

By the end of next week, significant snow cover will blanket much of the snowbelt.  Get ready.  Winter is back!