Chicago to NYC, DC: Spring Warmth to be Brief Next Week

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

March 14,2015; 10:27PM,EDT

 

 

Residents of the Midwest and mid-Atlantic should not get used to the spring warmth set to kick off the new week as fresh cool air will win out.
The warmth encompassing the northern Plains this weekend will expand eastward to the Midwest and mid-Atlantic Sunday through Monday.
While widespread record highs will not be broken as will be the case across the northern Plains, Monday will feel more like May in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Indianapolis and Cincinnati.
Farther to the east, April-like warmth will have those in Pittsburgh, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia, catching spring fever.

The greatest surge of warmth will bypass most of New England, where highs on Monday will be more typical of mid-March.
In the Midwest and mid-Atlantic, Monday will be a great day to enjoy activities that the snow and cold from earlier in the month prevented. Clouds and some showers will move through the upper Great Lakes. Otherwise, dry weather and some sunshine will compliment the mild air.
Residents may opt to fire up grills, take a longer walk or bike ride, drive with the windows down or play sports outdoors.
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Despite the warmth and dry weather, flooding will persist along the Ohio River as runoff from snowmelt and the recent rain drains downstream. Other rivers throughout the Midwest and Northeast will have to be monitored for potential ice jams.
What residents should not do is pack their jackets deep into closets as the spring warmth will not have staying power.
Fresh cooler air will quickly sweep away the warmth in a northwest-to-southeast fashion Tuesday through Wednesday, returning highs back to or below normal.
About 20 degrees will separate highs from Monday to Tuesday in the Midwest.

The core of the chill will be directed at the Northeast, causing widespread subfreezing highs across New England and southward to northern Pennsylvania on Wednesday. Temperatures this day will also be held 15 to 25 degrees below Monday's highs in the mid-Atlantic.
A brisk wind will create even lower AccuWeather.com RealFeel® temperatures with snow showers or flurries returning to some areas, especially toward the eastern Great Lakes and across New England.
For those shivering at midweek and wondering when spring will finally take hold over winter, you will have to look beyond Friday's astronomical start to spring.
"While there could be a day or two of warmth ahead of any cold front, the weather pattern is not favoring any sustained warmth across the East into April," stated AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Mark Paquette. "There can even be some really chilly shots as well."
Paquette added that the weather pattern is basically going back to what was observed in the winter with warmth dominating the West and cooler air pouring into the East.