A Sunny Winter Day

Ever notice that recipes for cooking a big hunk o' meat like a turkey or a roast will often say the meat's temperature will continue to rise after being taken out of the oven? Even though the heat has been shut off, it takes time for the poor beast to lose more heat than it has gained. A vegan-friendly example would be a recipe that says to plunge your green beans in ice water to stop them from cooking further.

The same principle is in play for the atmosphere. While the day with the least amount of heating is the winter solstice, the day when the annual cycle of temperature bottoms out in New York City is tomorrow. The actual nadir of the annual temperature curve, in which the daily averages are 31.5 degrees, extends through Tuesday. The mean temperature for next Wednesday rockets up to 32 degrees, where it remains for the rest of the month.

Today, though, will be the twelfth straight warmer than normal day. Expect sunny skies and a high in the low-40s. The temperature will be about the same tomorrow but clouds will roll in during the day and there's a chance of rain from the evening through Friday morning. A cooling trend looks like it will kick off on Saturday along with a chance of snow. Sunday could be nearly as cold as that really cold day at the beginning of the year.

This morning's temperatures across the country from Weather.com.