8 to 14 Day Forecast: Back to More Typical Winter Air Next Week

Last week we looked at an inevitable substantial warming for this week, which - not surprisingly - came true.  The signals were overwhelming.  Now, looking to next week, signals aren't quite as clear with a relatively flat jet stream expected, but there are some clues.  The "mean trough position" - or the most pronounced dip in the jet stream - is likely to set up in the Eastern third of the United States, meaning moderate shots of cold air to carve out at least a pocket of sub-normal temperatures.  Elsewhere in the East, temperatures are likely to be close to normal.  The flat jet stream means relatively fast wind aloft, and I expect at least one if not more of the incoming Pacific storm systems to tap the Gulf of Mexico and provide more precipitation than normal to the East.  This combination means the increased potential for snow or mixed precipitation storms in the East next week.