Midwest, Northeast to Bask in Springlike Warmth This Week

By Brian Lada, Meteorologist

March 9,2015; 8:47PM,EST

 

 

The first week of March delivered more snow and bitter cold to the East and Midwest, but the second week of the month will be substantially different.
Milder, more seasonable weather that moved in during the end of the weekend will last through much of the week, giving people a taste of spring.
"A change in the weather pattern has turned off arctic air invasions to allow the March sun to go to work over much of the central and northeastern United States," said AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
Unlike earlier this year when warm weather only made brief appearances in the East before getting swept away by blasts of arctic air, this week's mild weather should hold for several days.

While record highs will not be challenged, high temperatures in the 40s and 50s will be common from Minnesota to Maryland and up into Massachusetts on Tuesday and Wednesday, right around normal for the start of March.
Some cities, such as Chicago and Detroit, may even have their warmest day so far in 2015 during this stretch of mild weather.
People who still have their outdoor holiday decorations up may find this shift in the weather pattern to bring an opportunity to take them down without having to wear gloves and a heavy winter coat.

Although this is not expected to be a significant warmup for the Northeast, the mild air will still eat away at the snow pack covering the ground.
This could cause some flooding issues, particularly across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys.
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A system tracking from the southern Plains toward the mid-Atlantic will spread a swath of heavy rain in its path.
"Concern is greatest for this rain to combine with snow melt and cause flooding in and around the central and southern West Virginia mountains and into Kentucky," stated AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski.
A second storm will begin to form along the Gulf Coast and lift up towards the Northeast.
Depending on how much cold air moves into the region on Thursday and how long it sticks around for, this system could produce snow or ice in part of the Northeast during the coming weekend.
Looking ahead to the middle part of the month, the pattern will shift yet again.
"The pattern will trend to colder-than-average during the second half of the month in the Northeast, but average temperatures continue to rise with the strengthening sun," Sosnowski said.
As a result, cold outbreaks will not be as severe, nor as long-lasting as they were during February.
"It is not uncommon for great temperature swings during the spring, Sosnowski stated, "It would be more uncommon for such a thing not to happen."
Continue to check back with AccuWeather.com over the coming days as more details can be determined about the storm potential for the weekend.