WATERTOWN — North country residents have been experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures, and that trend doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon.
Highs are expected to jump into the mid-70s Saturday, and could potentially break a daily record, according to Steven J. Welch, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Buffalo.
The normal high temperature for Watertown on Saturday would be 51 degrees. The National Weather Service in Buffalo is predicting a high of 73. The record high is 71 degrees.
“That’s going to be the warmest day,” he said. “But in general, temperatures the past few weeks have been, for most areas, at least 10 degrees, 15 degrees above normal, and really, it’s maxing out this Saturday with 20 degrees above normal.”
Mr. Welch said the weather information that the National Weather Service uses comes from Watertown International Airport.
Those looking to experience a little bit of fall weather will have a chance on Tuesday when temperatures are closer to what they normally are this time of year with highs in the low 50s, before quickly climbing back to above normal temperatures in the days that follow.
The north country is experiencing the higher-than-normal temperatures due to a pattern change — from a trough to a strong ridge with high pressure, Mr. Welch said.
PBS describes a trough as “an elongated area of relatively low pressure extending from the center of a region of low pressure,” while a ridge is described by PBS as “an elongated area of relatively high pressure extending from the center of a high-pressure region.”
According to data collected at the Watertown filtration plant, the record high temperature for today’s date is 74 degrees set in 2015. For Nov. 5, the record high is 74 set in 2008; the record for Nov. 6 is 73 set in 1948.
There will be a few colder days next week, Mr. Welch said, but overall the temperature is supposed to stay pretty warm.
“Overall, it still looks dry and above normal for temperatures,” he said.
People in Watertown took time to enjoy the abnormally warm weather on Thursday afternoon.
Gino T. McCoy was out enjoying the weather on Public Square.
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