Arctic Air to Make Brief Return to East, Midwest for Late Week

By Brian Lada, Meteorologist

March 5,2015; 9:57PM,EST

 

People across the Midwest and Northeast will be bundling up as the first week of March comes to a close due to a southward push of arctic air.
This push of frigid air should not bring a prolonged cold spell like arctic outbreaks earlier in the season but will still deliver dangerous conditions.
The core of the arctic air sunk into the northern Plains on Wednesday, and will continue to expand over the Midwest for Thursday before reaching the Northeast on Thursday night into Friday.

High temperatures in the 20s and teens will be common with even lower AccuWeather.com RealFeel® Temperatures.
According to AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski, "The main concern we have is that areas of slush and standing water will freeze with this push of arctic air from the Ohio and Tennessee valleys to the mid-Atlantic coast and southern New England."
Thursday night's lows are forecast to drop into the single digits across much of the Midwest and interior Northeast with some spots dropping below zero F.
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Daily low temperature records will be challenged in the Midwest and part of the South Central states. For example, on Friday morning in Pittsburgh, the record low for the date of 2 F set in 1901 will likely be surpassed. In Memphis, the Friday morning record low of 20 F set in 1920 is likely to be smashed with temperatures forecast to dip well down into the teens.

Temperatures this low can make outdoor activities dangerous during the early morning.
By this point of the winter, most people have grown accustomed to the cold. However, anyone that must spend time in the outdoors in the harsh cold should wear multiple layers, hats and gloves to stay warm.
"There is a significant risk of frostbite and hypothermia for those who spend time outdoors and are not properly dressed for the cold," Sosnowski said.
For those who have grown tired of winter and the relentless cold, this shot of frigid air will be quick to depart. Temperatures will begin to moderate heading into the weekend.
Although highs are still forecast to remain below normal on Saturday and Sunday, they will not be nearly as low as over the weekend. The weather should feel comparatively warmer as a result.
A significant warmup is in store for the Central states next week. Even the weather in the Northeast will be much less cold with temperatures trending to near or above average for the middle of March.