Memory of the winter 2025-26 upper air pattern has featured a semi-permanent polar vortex over the Northeast U.S. Once again, another potent storm within that semi-permanent trough pattern today batters the Northeast U.S. as a blizzard.

Focus is on the Northeast Corridor blizzard, the first widespread blizzard since January 2022. Blizzard Warnings extend from the Mid-Atlantic Coast to east and south portions of New England. The culprit is a coastal storm developing east-southeast of Norfolk, VA early this afternoon drifting slowly northeastward as a “bomb cyclone” with a central pressure near 970 MB south of Nantucket tomorrow at dawn.

Given the low-pressure forecasts, high wind is a major issue with the SUN/MON Northeast Coastal storm. Utilizing the aggressive GFS forecast, wind gusts in the 45-65 mph range should be expected Sunday evening on the Mid-Atlantic Coast extending inland to I-95. By late Monday morning, wind gusts approach hurricane force across southeastern Massachusetts. High wind and heavy snow combination could produce blizzard conditions.

The Scandinavia Index was negative during February and remains negative for the weekend. However, the -SCAND reverses to positive phase later next week causing the pattern to change from cold across the North and mild/stormy South so far in February to somewhat milder and drier for the southern half of Europe while cold eases in the North heading into March.