When will Centre County see temperatures in the 70s again? Not soon, says expert
Sunnier days may be ahead for Centre County and the State College area — but, according to one senior meteorologist from AccuWeather, they’re not exactly coming soon.
Meteorologist Tom Kines told the CDT that the area likely won’t see significantly warmer days until after Easter on April 20. He believes the jet stream will move north around that time, causing temperatures to rise in central Pennsylvania and finally giving outdoor enthusiasts a chance at some 70 degree days.
“From the last week of April to the first week of May, I think temps should at least average higher than typical,” Kines said Friday. “That’s not to say there won’t be any cool days but, overall, I think it’s an above-average temperature pattern. So there is light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, it’s a long tunnel.”
Centre County residents couldn’t be blamed for having a little whiplash from the local weather. According to Kines, March’s average temperature was at least six degrees warmer than usual. Compare that to April, which is so far about two degrees cooler than what’s typical.
For the last week, every day in State College has been measured as being colder than average. That likely doesn’t come as a surprise. Whiteout conditions caused several major crashes in Snow Shoe, while frost and flurries have been much more plentiful than sunshine. The most recent day with warmer-than-average temperatures came April 4, a day after temps last reached 70 degrees.
“It’s been kind of a lousy stretch of weather,” Kines added.
That doesn’t mean there’s no relief in sight, but it does mean any immediate relief should be short-lived. AccuWeather is counting on a warmer day with sunshine Sunday, with a high of 58. But Kines expects a cold front to move in sometime Monday, possibly holding off until the evening, which will put a damper on any hopes for sustained T-shirt weather.
“I’ll issue a ‘good mood warning’ for Sunday because the sun should come out and, with that sunshine, temperatures ought to respond by getting back into the 50s,” Kines said. “I know it’s not the 70s but with what we had yesterday, today and tomorrow, 50s are going to feel pretty good.”
Overall, it wasn’t a nice slate of weather this past week. And neither Kines nor AccuWeather are expecting an amazing stretch the next.
So if you’re looking for back-to-back sunny, 70 degree days at this point of the year, Kines has a message.
“If you’re hoping for a few days of sunny weather with highs in the 70s, you better head down to Florida — because it’s not happening here anytime soon,” he joked.
