Northeastern US to feel like spring this weekend

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

February 18,2016; 11:10PM,EST

 

 

From West Virginia, Virginia and Pennsylvania to New York, Massachusetts and Maine, it will feel like springtime for at least part of this weekend.
A westerly flow of mild Pacific Ocean air will sweep into the eastern United States this weekend.
The weather in the Northeast will be much less harsh this weekend, when compared to last weekend.
Many locations in the Northeast were shivering with the coldest air of the winter, brutal winds and in some cases the lowest temperatures and AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures in several decades during Valentine's Day weekend.
RealFeel Temperatures factor in temperature, wind, and several other weather parameters. Last weekend, RealFeel Temperatures ranged between minus 40 F to near zero at times.
"Compared to Valentine's Day weekend, it will feel dramatically different," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.

"Actual temperatures will average 35-45 degrees higher on Saturday and Sunday, than on Valentine's Day," Pydynowski said.
Highs this weekend will range from the 40s in the northern tier to the 60s in parts of Virginia and Maryland.
"A stiff breeze will add some chill and will be an annoyance this weekend, but it will be nothing like the painful and dangerous conditions the wind and cold brought last weekend," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said.

RealFeel Temperatures will range from near 30 in the north to near 50 along the Virginia/North Carolina border this weekend.
Actual temperatures may be slightly lower on Sunday, compared to Saturday, but with less wind on Sunday it will feel about the same.
"Even though a cool front will drop southward over Northeast during the weekend, it will have little effect on temperatures," Pydynowski said.
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A storm passing through southern Canada will bring a period or two of snow, ice and rain to northern New England and northern upstate New York during the first part of the weekend.
"While the warmup this weekend will stop well short of records, it will likely be enough to cause the average temperature for February to swing into positive territory," Dombek said.
Temperatures have averaged above normal in much of the Northeast during November, December and January. This month temperatures have had dramatic swings from well above to well below normal.
Another dose of cold air is forecast for the last week of February and could be enough to allow temperatures to average below normal for the month as a whole.