Arctic Hounds Unleashed: Long Duration Late January/Early February Cold Snap

[WxWatcher007]

By my count, and I do not claim to be nearly as competent as the great @donsutherland1 and @ORH_wxman, through 1/31 both BDR and BDL are experiencing their coldest (by avg temp) start to winter since 2011. Both stations just edge out 2018, and of course neither count February since it hasn't happened yet. 

That's very impressive to me. 

Maybe more impressive is the inland streak with temperatures below 25. Looking back, that 1961 period is just outrageous. 

[SnoSki14]

That's some man cold next weekend.  Winds are howling with below zero temps. 

Talking -30-35F windchills 

[Modfan2]

Down to 8F so far this am; does anyone have some lake/pond ice depths in SNE? Got To think we close to be over 12” or more in most areas.

[CoastalWx]

1 minute ago, Modfan2 said:

Down to 8F so far this am; does anyone have some lake/pond ice depths in SNE? Got To think we close to be over 12” or more in most areas.

Last weekend the ice here was just starting to thicken safely after the first two weeks of warmth. But then the snow came to insulate it. I know even the ponds in SNH had slush at the bottom of the snowpack. 

[HIPPYVALLEY]

6 minutes ago, CoastalWx said:

Last weekend the ice here was just starting to thicken safely after the first two weeks of warmth. But then the snow came to insulate it. I know even the ponds in SNH had slush at the bottom of the snowpack. 

What?  People literally been ice fishing here for close to eight weeks. 

[CoastalWx]

24 minutes ago, HIPPYVALLEY said:

What?  People literally been ice fishing here for close to eight weeks. 

They were ice fishing on the Charles River yesterday too. Just saying what I heard in SNH. Snow insulates. 

[CoastalWx]

They were ice fishing here in December but January two week thawed thinned it out in some areas.

[HIPPYVALLEY]

6 minutes ago, CoastalWx said:

They were ice fishing on the Charles River yesterday too. Just saying what I heard in SNH. Snow insulates. 

Yeah, I think a snow pack reduces ice formation rate by 50%

[wx2fish]

Still plenty of slush in spots under the snow even up to Winni. Downside to the weight of a deep pack. Plenty of ice, but makes a pain to navigate. Been trying to keep a hockey rink cleared and its finally firmed up enough under the snow to shovel to top off without making a total mess

[Ginx snewx]

4 minutes ago, wx2fish said:

Still plenty of slush in spots under the snow even up to Winni. Downside to the weight of a deep pack. Plenty of ice, but makes a pain to navigate. Been trying to keep a hockey rink cleared and its finally firmed up enough under the snow to shovel to top off without making a total mess

Check this out! The Copernicus Sentinel satellite captured this high-definition image of Narragansett Bay on Saturday. The high resolution of the image shows where the bay is beginning to freeze over, such as in Greenwich Bay, just south of Warwick. There is also plenty of ice in the East Bay, along with a decent-sized ice field west of Prudence Island and in the Sakonnet River.

[CoastalWx]

Looks like after this weekend we can safely say the real cold is done. Temps moderate and then we’ll be at the end of the month with climo rising. 

[amarshall]

People out walking on the bay in Duxbury this weekend.   Big nope from me. 

[WxWatcher007]

Low of 1.4° here at WXW1.

-15.1 at WXW2. Seven straight days below zero there.