Late-Weekend Cold in Northeast to Put Springlike Weather on Hold

By Jordan Root, Meteorologist

March 20,2015; 9:02PM,EDT

 

 

Although the first weekend of spring is upon us, a new blast of cold air is set to put springlike weather on hold in the Northeast.
The snowstorm affecting part of the Northeast on Friday will appropriately mark the end of astronomical winter and the start of astronomical spring.
After the storm departs the Northeast it will merge with a second system over Atlantic Canada later Saturday. The circulation around the merging storms will create a rush of cold air across the Great Lakes and Northeast for millions of people.

The cold will return after a brief spell of mild weather and melting snow on Saturday.
High temperatures are forecast to dip between 10 and 15 F below the normal for this time of the year on Sunday.

Cities such as Detroit, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Buffalo, New York City, Philadelphia and Boston will all face the chilly drop in temperature.
Overnight lows late this weekend into early next week will again dip back to below freezing in the I-95 corridor from Baltimore to Boston. Locations across the Appalachians will drop down into teens and perhaps the single digits in the coldest valleys.
According to AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Evan Duffey, while February was a record cold month for many, March has been more of a mixed-bag when it comes to mild and chilly days.
"New York City and most places in the Northeast will see the coldest air since March 7 return to the region," said Duffey.
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Any snow that melts during the day due to the increasingly stronger March sun angle will be at risk for freezing into black ice at night. Motorists are urged to travel with caution.
The cold air will even reach the Carolinas by the start of the new week. After reaching the upper 60s and lower 70s over the weekend, highs in the 50s will be felt for many on Monday in North Carolina.
High pressure will allow for some sunshine into the new workweek, which will help in some ways.
"Longer daylight hours and strengthening sunshine will negate some of the chill," said AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
Unfortunately, a long-lasting warm spell is not in the forecast anytime soon as more waves of cold air will continue to move in.

"Below-average temperatures are likely to outnumber warmer-than-average days by at least two to one from the Upper Midwest to the Northeast through early April," said Sosnowski.
Normal temperatures are now increasing about a degree every few days, which is something to look forward to. Regardless of the weather pattern, the worst of the cold is now in the rear view mirror as the spring season settles in.