Polar Vortex 2014

Very impressive start to the month...

Warmest Mays on record

Cleveland, OH

1. 1991, 66.8

2. 2015, 66.5 (through 5/11)

3. 1896, 65.8

4. 1944, 65.5

Akron/Canton, OH

1. 1991, 68.7

2. 2015, 68.6 (through 5/11)

3. 1896, 66.6

4. 2012, 66.5

Record breaking heat wave across northern Ohio today. Should see more records through the weekend. This has got to be the hottest May ever. I mean these temperatures are fairly common around Memorial Day, but the first full week of May? A little too warm IMO.

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES ACROSS NORTHERN OHIO...

AT 316 PM EDT (216 PM EST) THIS AFTERNOON, THE TEMPERATURE AT
AKRON-CANTON REGIONAL AIRPORT REACHED 87 DEGREES. THIS TIES THE OLD
RECORD HIGH OF 87 DEGREES LAST SET ON MAY 7 1936.

AT 333 PM EDT (233 PM EST) THIS AFTERNOON, THE TEMPERATURE AT
MANSFIELD LAHM MUNICIPAL AIRPORT REACHED 86 DEGREES. THIS TIES THE
OLD RECORD HIGH OF 86 DEGREES PREVIOUSLY SET ON MAY 7 1926.

AT 459 PM EDT (359 PM EST) THIS AFTERNOON, THE TEMPERATURE AT THE
YOUNGSTOWN-WARREN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT REACHED 85 DEGREES. THIS TIES
THE OLD RECORD HIGH OF 85 DEGREES PREVIOUSLY SET ON MAY 7 2000.

It would appear there's essentially no heat flux coming from the lake, and the ice coverage is actually acting as a freezer now. The coldest temperatures today were right next to the lakeshore despite a north wind.

Safe to say the lake effect snow season has officially come to an end.

And as it turns out, it wasn't warmth and rain we had to worry about...

Maybe not in Tamaqua. But it's raining here in SW PA.

Holy crap. A PNS in Ashtabula County is reporting -39, which would tie the all-time state record. Obviously, I can't vouch for its precision but still... The two closest PNS's are reporting -29 and -30, so it's definitely in the ballpark.

Don't see any discussion of it, but Erie, PA tied its all-time record low of -18F this morning. The record was previously established on January 19, 1994.

I wish one of these coastal storms would take a Hurricane Sandy hard left into New Jersey. I feel like we would get 20-40 inches of snow, while BOS gets 50s and 60s and heavy rain, if that would happen!

Another one inch reported at KYNG in the past one hour. Snow depth up to 15 inches.

METAR KYNG 020251Z 12011KT 1SM -SN BR OVC003 01/00 A2955 RMK AO2 SLP019 SNINCR 1/15 60021 T00060000 56053

One inch of new snow reported at KYNG. 14 inches on the ground.

METAR KYNG 020051Z 11010KT 3/4SM -SN BR OVC003 00/M01 A2966 RMK AO2 PRESFR SLP056 SNINCR 1/14 T00001006

Still ripping out. Defying all odds.

5" already? Radar must not be picking up the snow in YNG.

Well maybe a little bit of an overestimate. Measured about 3.5" of new snow on the driveway, and about 8.5" of snow cover on the grass. Still a lot more than the one inch that was forecast.

Everytime it looks like we're gonna dry slot, the snow backbuilds and it fills in.

I can't believe how much snow we've gotten. NWS was calling for an inch or less here today when I woke up this morning. We must be approaching 5" of new snow just since 6 am. It's been snowing all day so far, and really picked up in intensity since noon.

Around 4" or so here in Youngstown so far. Very heavy snow falling now.

METAR KYNG 011751Z COR 10006KT 1/4SM +SN FZFG VV011 M02/M03 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP172 SNINCR 1/12 4/012 933017 60017 T10171033 11017 21028 58039

Just noticed CLE's updated snowfall map. Pretty hefty totals by Wednesday evening.

Looks like the snow hits an impenetrable wall right at the edge of CLE and PBZ's CWAs.

Enjoy the snow. Big warmup coming this weekend. Temperatures look to climb well into the 40s by Saturday night.

If no snow falls the rest of the month, it's looking pretty bleak in the snowfall department all across northern Ohio. Toledo with just a trace (tied for least snowiest), Akron/Canton with just 0.5" (least snowiest on record), Mansfield just 0.2" (tied 2nd least snowiest), Youngstown 0.7" (2nd least snowiest), and Cleveland 0.9" (3rd least snowiest).

Mid 40s Monday, 50s Tuesday and Wednesday (maybe near 60?!?), and now looks like Christmas Day itself will probably log a 50-degree high just after midnight as the models have been slowing things down. Ridiculous.