White Plains' Weather: An Arctic Blast Deflected, a Chance to See Meteor Showers

WHITE PLAINS, 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 southern Westchester County:

• Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. Breezy, with a northwest wind 20 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph.
• Tonight: Clear, with a low around 32. Wind chill values between 25 and 30. Northwest wind 11 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 48. Wind chill values between 25 and 35 early. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
• Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34. West wind around 8 mph.
• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 57. West wind 7 to 9 mph.
• Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 36.

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