Southeast's Weather: An Arctic Blast Deflected and a Chance to See Meteor Showers

BREWSTER, NY — It won't be as cold this weekend as forecasters predicted earlier, and we will have clear skies in which to look for the North Taurids meteor showers.

"Winds will begin to howl out of the northwest, and that will be what helps usher in the colder air," said Bill Potter of Hudson Valley Weather. "Earlier in the week, it appeared that the core of this cold blast would settle in over the Hudson Valley. It now appears that while very cold… the worst of the arctic blast misses our region. That means instead of highs pinned in the 30s on Saturday… we’ll see mid 40s for most of the area. It’s still a winter preview… but not as harsh as expected earlier this week."

The North Taurids meteor showers peak Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11-12, though they may be outshone by the waxing gibbous moon.

The twin Taurids meteor showers — the South Taurids and the North Taurids — continue through Dec. 2. Both are long-lasting but sleepy, only offering about seven meteors an hour, but they are known for having the highest percentage of fireballs. The best chance to see one is around midnight. They’re slow-moving, but very bright, according to Earthsky.org.

Here's the National Weather Service forecast for Putnam County:

Today
Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid 50s. West winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph...becoming northwest around 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph this afternoon.

Tonight
Clear. Cooler with lows in the mid 20s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the evening.

Saturday
Sunny. Highs in the upper 40s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday Night
Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 20s. West winds around 5 mph.

Sunday
Sunny. Highs in the mid 50s. West winds around 5 mph.

Sunday Night
Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 30s.

Photo: The 2009 Leonid meteor shower produced this fireball (photo by Ed Sweeney via Flickr Commons)