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A polar vortex has erupted in the northeastern United States this weekend, causing rare snowfall in May and record low temperatures in some areas.
Up to 10 inches of snow have been reported in some elevated parts of New York and New England, with gusts and dust seen along the coast from Maine, New Hampshire and Boston to southern Manhattan.
John Cannon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, said: “We have had several inches in many areas in the northeast.
“This is a rare snow event in May.”
May’s unreasonable weather is described as a “May blizzard once in a generation.”
Snow was reported in Central Park in New York City, equivalent to a record set in 1977 for the last snowfall of the season, while Massachusetts had had no measurable snow in May since 2002.
The most affected areas were hill communities such as Sugar Hill, New Hampshire, which got 10.5 inches, and Carrabasset Valley in Maine, which saw nine inches of snowfall, he said.
Winds of up to 87 mph (140 km / h) were recorded Saturday at Mount Washington Observatory, atop the highest peak in the northeast, with temperatures dropping to -30C (-22F).
Temperatures are expected to drop from -1 ° C (30 ° F) as of Sunday morning in parts of New Jersey and New York, and a freeze warning has been issued in parts of Pennsylvania.
A map from the National Weather Service shows the stark contrast in temperatures between the east coast and west coast.
“There are numerous freeze warnings, warnings and frost warnings in effect as of Sunday morning in Central High Plains, Northern Plains and from Alabama to the Northeast,” the National Weather Service tweeted.
He also posted a map on Twitter showing the stark contrast between the East Coast and West Coast, with temperatures forecast as high as 38 ° C (100 ° F) in parts of California on Sunday, and 8 ° C (46 ° F) ) in Maine.
“What a pattern in the United States. It will be warmer in Alaska than it is in Atlanta, Georgia,” said AccuWeather’s chief meteorologist, Bernie Rayno.
A polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air that surrounds the north and south poles.
Present year-round, it is known as a “vortex” because air flows counterclockwise, keeping the colder air close to the poles.
A person wears a protective mask while walking in the snow during the coronavirus pandemic in New York City.
Often during winter in the northern hemisphere, the polar vortex will weaken by sending cold Arctic air southward over the Midwest and east coast of the United States.
The winter weather comes two days after Vermont began lifting restrictions on tennis, golf, and other outdoor activities that had been imposed to curb the coronavirus outbreak.
Governor Phil Scott sympathized with those frustrated by the weather after weeks of being locked up.
He tweeted, “I know the snow on May 9 is not a pleasant sight for many Vermonters, just as we cautiously allow outdoor recreation to work again.
“But this is just a snapshot in time. Just as the best weather is yet to come, better days will come. We will get through it together.”
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