x
Breaking News
More () »

Warmer than average: Is winter unofficially over?

Short answer: Pretty much
Credit: WeatherBELL

HARTFORD, Conn. — Is this winter done with?

Short answer, pretty much, other than a few quick shots of cold.

Longer answer (nerd alert!): The strength of the Polar Vortex can help "lock-in" the cold up in the North Pole, meanwhile, our weather in the eastern US stays mild. 

Credit: WeatherBELL
The location of the stratospheric Polar Vortex as it just cranks around way up north.

That's been the case in a big way so far this winter, with near-record high levels of the Polar Vortex, as well as record-high Arctic Oscillation (AO) values recently.

RELATED: Check the forecast here

When those two are cranking away in tandem, the chances of Arctic air breaking loose and going southward are very slim. It's no secret that we've been pretty darn warm the past month and a half (our 7th warmest year to date on record so far).

Credit: WeatherBELL

The forecasts for many long-range computer model projections show both the Polar Vortex and the AO staying positive for the next few weeks, locking in generally milder air. I'm not saying that we won't get a day or two of cold (like we have on tap for this Friday and Saturday) or snow (which has been virtually nonexistent in 2020 so far), but getting a real long-lasting cold and snowy pattern looks very unlikely.

We're in the midst of our prime time for winter weather, so every week that we stay above average, the chances dwindle. As we head towards March, we can still get snowstorms, but the snow won't last as long on the ground as the sun is getting stronger in the sky.

So in summary: Bring on the blooming flowers and green grass!

Before You Leave, Check This Out