Blue Norther!

A very strong cold front is moving through the Plains today, causing a 20-30 degree temperature drop in just an hour or two! Check out this surface map snapshot taken at 10:30 AM of Oklahoma, where the cold front is halfway through that state. This dramatic temperature drop is often referred to as a "Blue Norther." The biggest Blue Norther in history was on November 11, 1911, when many cities broke record high temperatures before plunging to record low temperatures, all within 24 hours. For example, Springfield, MO dropped 67 degrees in 10 hours, from a high temperature of 80 degrees to a Midnight reading of 13 degrees. Incidentally, Oklahoma City (where today's Blue Norther is moving through) also had a dramatic drop of 66 degrees from a record high of 83 to a record low of 17 degrees. Are you noticing a trend? Most Blue Northers primarily affect the Plains states and Midwest.

This is the same cold front that will move through Central Virginia Wednesday night. By the time it gets to us, it will not pack quite the same punch, but it will be potent enough to keep cooler temperatures in place through the weekend with highs in the 40's and 50's. Say goodbye to those 70-degree afternoons on Wednesday! We won't see those again for a while...

But, I always like to look on the bright side! At least we won't receive the blizzard conditions that are accompanying this storm system. The Dakotas and Minnesota are getting blasted, with up to 8" of snowfall in strong winds. This is serious enough to shut down roads and effectively force people to "hole up" and wait for the storm to pass. Although, I'm not sure you'd want to venture outside even after the blizzard stops, because very cold air is rushing in behind this low pressure system. Temperatures tonight are expected to drop into the minus teens to near minus 20 degrees.

--Carrie