NYC's weather whiplash — Why temperatures are swinging so fast
The Brief
A shifting jet stream is causing extreme temperature swings in the Tri-State area, with warm and cold air trading places rapidly.
The jet stream, a high-altitude wind current, is especially active in spring as it moves north, steering volatile weather systems across the region.
Meteorologists say the unpredictable pattern could last through late April or early May before settling into a more typical spring.
NEW YORK - The Tri-State area is experiencing wild temperature swings, with weather shifting dramatically from cold to warm in a matter of hours.
But what's causing this weather whiplash? Well, look to the jet stream.
What we know
The recent weather rollercoaster — cold mornings followed by 70-degree afternoons — is being caused by the jet stream, a fast-moving river of air about 5 to 9 miles above Earth's surface. This current of high-altitude wind plays a major role in shaping the weather across North America.
As Earth tilts toward the sun during the spring transition, the jet stream begins to move northward. That shift allows warmer air from the south to flow into the Tri-State area — but not consistently.
"I think in the last couple of weeks we've seen a lot of temperature fluctuations, the pattern has been very volatile," said John Homenuk, meteorologist with New York Metro Weather. "And a lot of that is just the transition that we're going into spring."
What is the jet stream?
The jet stream forms at the boundaries between cold and warm air masses — typically where polar and tropical air meet. It flows from west to east and acts as a kind of atmospheric steering wheel, pushing weather systems across the country.
When the jet stream dips south, cold Arctic air can reach areas much farther south than usual. When it retreats north, it opens the door for warm, humid air to move in from the Gulf of Mexico or southern U.S.
In spring, the jet stream becomes especially active, shifting frequently and allowing quick changes in temperature and storm activity.
By the numbers
The volatility has been extreme. Last Saturday, a backdoor cold front caused a 26-degree temperature drop in just one hour in parts of the Tri-State area.
"The ocean is cold still this time of year," Homenuk explained. "And when we warm up the air over the landmass, despite it being 75 degrees there, the ocean is still really cold. So all it takes is a little wind shift, and that ocean air comes flowing back in, and that creates a frontal boundary. Those backdoor cold fronts can change the weather very quickly."
What's next
Expect the pattern to continue for several more weeks.
"It's probably late April, maybe early May, when things start to settle in a little bit," Homenuk said. "Then we'll be in a little bit more of what I would consider a typical spring pattern."
Until then, it's best to keep both your winter coat and sunglasses within reach.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Experts issue concerning forecast about disruptions to food supply in next five years: 'Far more severe'
The next five years are likely to be hotter than we've ever experienced, with the potential to disrupt everything from daily routines to global food systems. The ripple effects could be dangerous and costly, but there are tools to help us prepare. In late May, the World Meteorological Organization, an agency of the United Nations, released a new report full of serious warnings, according to CBC News. The WMO's analysis indicates there is an 80% chance that at least one of the next five years will be the hottest on record. The global average temperature during that period is 70% likely to exceed pre-industrial levels by 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. That's a critical limit set in the 2015 Paris Agreement and one that the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said "crossing [would risk] unleashing far more severe climate change impacts, including more frequent and severe droughts, heatwaves and rainfall." The WMO report additionally noted, per CBC, that from 2025 to 2029, global temperatures are projected to hover above historic averages by between 2.2 and 3.4 degrees Fahrenheit. And the Arctic is predicted to warm at a rate more than 3.5 times the global average. Some of these increases may seem small, but they can supercharge extreme weather events to catastrophic effect. Although destructive weather patterns have always been a part of life on Earth, human-induced warming can act like steroids. "Every additional fraction of a degree of warming drives more harmful heatwaves, extreme rainfall events, intense droughts, melting of ice sheets, sea ice, and glaciers, heating of the ocean, and rising sea levels," the WMO said in a written statement. For example, accelerated glacier loss and ice melt in the Arctic can lead to rising sea levels. These load up storm surges with huge amounts of water, rocking coastal towns and reaching further and further inland. Parts of Alaska and Northern Europe may see more rain, while the Amazon could face worsening drought, according to the CBC's coverage of the WMO's predictions. The agency also emphasized that rising global temperatures can cause ocean currents to slow, crops to fail, and diseases to spread more widely and rapidly. Some municipalities are investing in cooling strategies, like tree planting and reflective building materials. Neighborhoods have also launched resilience hubs in an effort to ready communities for the shocks to come. There are even structural and functional changes that can be made to individual homes. Do you think we should be trying to pull pollution out of the atmosphere? Absolutely I need to know more In some situations No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Upgrading to a heat pump or installing solar panels, for example, can help lower monthly bills while reducing the use of the dirty energy sources that produce heat-trapping gases and drive temperatures and sea levels higher. Installing solar panels along with a battery system can also boost a home's resilience to the power grid outages that have become fairly regular symptoms of extreme weather events. Such upgrades can feel intimidating for homeowners, but there are resources that can help. EnergySage, for one, offers a free service that lets consumers compare quotes from vetted local installers, saving customers up to $10,000 on solar panel installation. Home-based shifts like this can also feel "too small" or "not enough" to combat the devastating effects of human-caused climate change. But learning about clean, renewable options together with friends, family, and neighbors can be a force multiplier, making info-gathering more approachable, renovations more possible, alternatives more normalized, and environmental benefits more widespread. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Washington Post
Greenland and Iceland saw record heat in May. What does that mean for the world?
Human-caused climate change boosted Iceland and Greenland 's temperatures by several degrees during a record-setting May heat wave, raising concerns about the far-reaching implications melting Arctic ice has for weather around the world, scientists said in an analysis released Wednesday. The Greenland ice sheet melted many times faster than normal during the heat wave, according to the analysis by World Weather Attribution, with at least two communities seeing record temperatures for May. Parts of Iceland saw temperatures more than 10°C (18 °F) above average, and the country set a record for its warmest temperature in May when Egilsstadir Airport hit 26.6°C (79.9 F) on May 15.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Smoky skies send air quality to record lows in southern Ontario
Prolific smoke that's blown across North America and beyond over the past couple of weeks will bring reduced air quality to southern Ontario through Friday. 'As smoke levels increase, health risks increase,' Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) said in its special air quality statement for the region on Thursday. This risk includes the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, Ottawa, Windsor, and much of cottage country. DON'T MISS: Significant wildfire activity across the western half of the country has sent plumes of smoke from the Arctic to the tropics—and even across the pond toward Europe. Most of the smoke we've seen of late over southern Ontario has remained elevated, contributing to hazy skies and vivid sunsets. Rain and strong winds that pushed through the region Wednesday and Thursday helped push some of that smoke down to the surface, reducing air quality and leading to a distinct burning smell at times. The front responsible for this pattern continues to linger across southern Ontario—forcing the smoke to linger through Friday, as well. Special air quality statements are in effect for almost all of southern Ontario through Friday as the low-level smoke blows across the area. The poorest air quality in the Greater Toronto Area is expected to persist through Friday. Thick smoke Thursday evening and overnight brought the Air Quality Index (AQI) for much of the region to extreme lows, rivalling the GTA's record-lowest average AQI over a 24-hour period and breaking that very record in London. Previously, much of Ontario's record-lowest AQIs were set in June and July of 2023—Canada's most destructive wildfire season to date. The reduced air quality could prove irritating to vulnerable people, such as those living with chronic respiratory problems. 'You may experience mild and common symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough. More serious but less common symptoms include wheezing, chest pains or severe cough,' ECCC says in its statement. Unfortunately, the poor air quality will to linger into the weekend as a ridge of high pressure in the atmosphere will continue to suppress the smoke to lower levels. Click here to view the video
