“A Cold Shot Of Air” Blasts Northeast Through Early Weekend Causing Energy Demand To Surge 

A short-lived Arctic blast will cover Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., through Saturday, with the coldest temperatures from Wednesday through Friday. 

“A cold shot of air, likely some of the coldest of the season, will briefly impact the Northeast to end the week. This will allow for increased heating and power demand across the Northeast during this time, thanks to high temperatures settling in the mid-to-upper 20s in New York City, and only the lower 30s in D.C. Thursday. This cold shot will be very brief, with temperatures rebounding significantly over the weekend into next week. Limited upside demand risk exists through Christmas week thanks to warmer weather expected across much of the U.S.,” said Ed Vallee, head meteorologist at Empire Weather. 

The Global Forecast System (GFS) shows temperatures for Northeast cities through Saturday could deviate by as much as 8 to 14 degrees F colder than average. By Sunday, warmer temperatures will give way for most cities in the Northeast. GFS shows temperatures from Sunday through January 02 could be well above average.  

Bloomberg notes that electricity prices surged across Boston on Wednesday morning following increased energy demand from homes and businesses. Power for delivery jumped 31% on Tuesday to $100 per megawatt-hour. In New York, prices soared 40% to $46 per megawatt-hour.

The Northeast Heating Degree Day index, a measurement to quantify the demand for energy needed to heat a building, shows energy demand in Northeast states will be the above trend through Saturday.

With the cold blast only sticking around until early weekend, above-trend weather for Northeast states is likely through the end of the year.