Bolaris: Spring-Like Thunderstorms To Record Cold And Flakes

Get ready for the Jekyll and Hyde month of March to continue. Later this week you’ll need to break out the shorts before you scramble again for the winter coat and scarf.

On Tuesday, we’ll see some clouds to sun — along with a continued chill in the air — as temperatures will remain stuck in the unseasonably cold 40s. (Normal high is around 55 degrees).

On Wednesday, we will see a transitional day as milder air riding up over the chilly Canadian air will produce a few scattered afternoon showers as temperatures nudge into the 50s.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Bolaris_Spring-like_thunderstorms_to_record_cold_and_flakes.html#TRQAJQPx6L5JteRX.99

Philadelphia Braces For Mind-Numbing Cold

Philadelphians will wake up Thursday to the winter’s first single-digit day. At 4 a.m. the temperature was expected to plunge to 9 degrees. And AccuWeather was calling for a “Real-Feel” temperature of -14 degrees.

But hang in there.

“It will be getting warmer. Or less cold,” said Gary Szatkowski, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Mount Holly, N.J. “I don’t know if 37 will feel warm. But it will feel less cold.”

To get to 37 degrees – Sunday’s expected high – the city first needs to bear a high of 20 degrees Thursday, 34 degrees Friday, and 25 degrees Saturday.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20150108_Phila__braces_for_mind-numbing_cold.html#75SbwG1JJzQRxZC6.99

Winter 2014-15 To Have More Snow Than Normal, But Less Than Last Year … And Less Cold Air

You may be reading this while wearing summer-ish shorts and a T-shirt, or standing in comfortable weather in your driveway after getting your paper.

But here’s a news flash — winter’s coming.

Even though it’s only late August, school’s just getting ready to start and winter doesn’t officially start for four months, forecasters are already getting a good picture of what to expect for winter 2014-15.

And the picture has both good news and bad news.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/winter—to-have-more-snow-than-normal-but/article_4cf8cd22-2a2e-11e4-8047-0017a43b2370.html

January Could End Up As One Of The Coldest Months In Recent Memory

The mercury hasn’t hit bottom yet.

January ranks as one of the most bitingly cold months Western Pennsylvanians can remember, though certainly not a record. A cold snap early in the month made the temperature plummet to 9 below zero near Pittsburgh International Airport with a wind chill that felt like 30 below.

State College-based AccuWeather predicts a low of 10 below zero on Tuesday as part of the latest bone-chilling cold spell, one that will extend through at least Jan. 31.

“We’ve been selling a lot of winter tires. People who have decided to try and wait to see how the winter goes, I think finally pulled the trigger,” said Nick Lenhart, manager of Lenhart’s Service Center in North Huntingdon. “They realized it’s not just going to be a one and done.”

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/5469509-74/cold-january-weather#ixzz2rKwZi8jZ
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Snow, Then Cold Expected Thursday Night

A snowstorm chased closely by a frigid cold snap is expected to blow into Berks County on Thursday night.

Forecasters expect the storm to hit just as evening commutes start and be at its heaviest after dark. They expect 3 to 6 inches of snow to be dumped on Berks before Friday morning.

“If you do have to do any traveling (Thursday), definitely the morning is the better time,” said Kristina Pydynowski, a forecaster with AccuWeather near State College.

Even though the snow will likely stop falling by Friday morning, she said, heavy winds could blow it back onto roads that have already been plowed.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article/20140101/NEWS/301019943/1052#.UsQ6EvRDsxI

PPL Electric Hits Record High For Morning Power Use

Image via Wikipedia

Allentown, PA based PPL Electric set a record for morning peak power consumption today between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.  Record cold temperatures were the reason.  The company released preliminary numbers showing that 7,432 megawatts were delivered.  The previous record was set on February 11, 2008 when 7,163 megawatts were delivered for the same time period between 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.

PPL Electric’s all-time peak record was set for the 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. period on February 5, 2007, when 7,557 megawatts were delivered.

For a point of reference:

A standard household light bulb has a power rating of between 25 and 100 watts. 

A kilowatt is equal to 1,000 watts.  The average electrical energy consumption in the United States is 8,900 kilowatts a year, per household.  Your electric bill reflects your usage in kilowatt hours.

One megawatt of electricity is equal to 1,000,000 watts.

PPL is just one of 11 electricity suppliers in Pennsylvania!