MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The weather of 2024 will be remembered for high temperatures, drought, and a record number of twisters on the ground.
The current weather system bring warmer air and the chance of precipitation to the area is courtesy of trough of air from the south. MetroNews Accuweather Meteorologist Brian Thompson said in the coming days we’ll trend 15 to 20 degrees higher than the normal averages.
“We’re pulling up warmer air from the Gulf Coast states and that sends temperatures into the 60’s and we’re going to see overnight lows at times in the 50’s,” Thompson said.
Thompson said this batch of warmer air remains in the forecast picture through the end of the year making it unlikely we’ll see any below freezing weather for the remainder of 2024.
“We probably won’t even be below freezing again,” Thompson said. ” Temperatures are going to stay above freezing with daytime highs in the 50’s and even into the 60’s, so quite a big change compared to some of the cold temperatures we’ve seen this time of year.”
In 2022, temperatures dropped to minus two degrees just before Christmas only to rebound to 70 degrees on December 30. Thompson said a record temperature of 72 was recorded in the Morgantown area December 2, 1982 and December 6, 1998.
“The record highs this time of year are mostly in the low 70’s believe ot or not,” Thompson said. ” We’ll probably be short of that with highs expected to peak in the in the low 60’s.”
Winter will return after the first of the year, but Thompson said there doesn’t appear to be extreme cold air headed our way in the extended forecast.
“There will be some colder air gradually working in and I think as we get closer to next weekend and next week temperature are going to be a lot closer to what we typically see in January, so highs back into the 30’s again.”
Thompson said when the colder air does arrive pater this month there appears to be little energy or moisture with it to make for a winter weather event. Models show enough moisture to help most of the state complete the drought recovery, but not enough to raise forecast concerns.
“Even when it gets cold in early January it does not look like a particularly active pattern,” Thompson said. “Looks like once the storm pattern shifts a little bit we’re going to see cold and dry air.”