After several weeks of prolonged Indian summer, the Lancaster County area is skipping autumn and diving straight into winter.
Media Center
Thanksgiving is the likely day of transition, when unseasonably warm days will give way to traditional winter weather — and, possibly, even a little snow.
"It's a downhill slide from here," Millersville University meteorologist Eric Horst said Sunday.
"The next few days will still be on the mild side, but the trend is downward," he said. "We're going to see the first wintry blast of air coming in on Thanksgiving night."
The first frost hit the Lancaster region in mid-October, when the weather was wetter and chillier than normal, Horst said. Warm weather followed soon after to provide a welcome return to pleasant days.
But the unseasonable highs that have dominated the past few weeks are unusual, he said.
"We've really been living on borrowed time this month," he said. "Almost every day has been at or above average temperatures."
The pattern is starting to shift, he said, and soon afternoon highs in the 50s and 60s will be a thing of the past.
"We're on the final days of that pattern. Enjoy it, because the pattern is going to shift on Thanksgiving," Horst said.
"You could even wake up Friday morning and see a little white stuff — although it's way too premature to call."
The National Weather Service is calling for clouds today with a chance of rain or drizzle. Highs are expected to peak in the mid-40s. More rain is expected tonight.
More of the same is expected Tuesday and Wednesday.
Thanksgiving Day, too, is likely to be a little gloomy. Forecasters expect mostly cloudy skies with a 50 percent chance of showers and an afternoon high in the low 50s.
Weather into the weekend is expected to be colder but sunnier, with temperatures hovering in the 30s and 40s.
tknapp@lnpnews.com
