How Much Worse Can This NYC Winter Get? We Asked a Meteorologist.

The weather this winter. Man. It looked like we were buddies and then BAM. A-hole. So much a-hole. Question is, can we ever be friends again? Or is it gonna keep being an a-hole? To find out (like, REALLY find out) we tapped current Weather Underground contributor Steve Gregory -- a meteorologist since 1977 -- who used lots of REALLY big words that we distilled down into these seven bullets. Brace yourself...

Winter Weather NYC
Flickr/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

So, what's going on with the weather?

According to Gregory, the nationwide super-duper cold in November, the warm and snowless December (we miss you December), and a return to very cold conditions/OHMYGODBLIZZARD in January all came about due to a very unusual and pronounced sea surface temperature anomaly pattern in the Pacific Ocean.
 

There are going to be big fluctuations in temperature

This may seem like a big wintertime duh, but thanks to a bunch of Gregory's weather-y mumbo jumbo (jet stream shift! Storm track changes!), future storms are either going to miss us (a good thing) or bring warmer air and mainly rain to the NYC metropolitan area.

Winter Weather NYC
Flickr/Trysil

This does mean good skiing, though

Big snows are going to keep pounding the interior areas to our North, which could make for some great mountain conditions.
 

We are entering into a two or three week spell of mighty cold and potentially very snowy weather

Not only do we have to slog through the aftermath of Juno, but the coldest and stormiest period is actually expected this week and then again in early February.
 

There's hope though -- mid-February looks... okay

Storms will usher in "arctic air surges" (uhhhhh) for the next two weeks, but it looks likely a that a Westerly wind flow will gradually moderate that "arctic air" and allow a return to milder temps during mid-month.

Winter Weather NYC
Flickr/alq666

But don't plan on breaking out your spring flip-flops quite yet

'Cause the seesaw temps and general storminess are gonna be back in March, a traditionally "wild weather" month to begin with. UGH.

TL;DR?

Winter will continue to get worse -- but not likely worse than Juno -- we'll get a brief reprieve in late February, and a predictably temperamental March. Bum. Mer.

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Steve Gregory is a professional meteorologist and has been a Weather Geek for over 45 years, he also shoots professional firework shows for additional thrill and entertainment. You can follow him on Twitter @pyro731 and the Weather Underground.

Andrew Zimmer is Thrillst's NYC Editor and he has a vast collection of spring flip-flops. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter.