It's Spring? April to Begin with Snow, Cold Temperatures in Great Lakes and Northeast

Chris Dolce
Published: April 2,2016
Much colder temperatures are set to infiltrate the Great Lakes and Northeast this weekend into early next week, setting the stage for snow in parts of those regions. This frosty start to April follows what has been a relatively mild March in much of the central and eastern states. Throw wind into the mix and wind chills across the region will make it feel much colder than the actual air temperature.
The return to a regime more typical of winter is due to an incoming surge of arctic air that will push southward through central and eastern Canada and into adjacent parts of the northern United States. Fast-moving low pressure systems, known as clippers, will have just enough moisture to produce snow in locations where cold air is sufficient.
(VIDEO: What is a Clipper?)

Current Radar and Conditions

Below are the forecast details on cold temperatures, followed by an overview of the snowfall potential.

Cold Temperatures Incoming

The latest forecast guidance suggests this invasion of colder temperatures will not make it very far south in the eastern states. Areas closest to the Canadian border from the Great Lakes into the Northeast are currently forecast to see temperatures the farthest below average Sunday into early next week.
(MAP: 10-day forecast)
The colder-than-average temperatures will first make their presence known in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes on Saturday and Sunday. High temperatures will be 10 to 20 degrees below where they are typically expected to be for the beginning of April in this area starting this weekend and lingering into next week.
Highs will likely top out in the 30s and 40s for much of the Northeast and Great Lakes. Some locations near the Canadian border may not rise out of the 20s.

Forecast Highs

Along with the cooler temperatures, gusty winds can also be expected, creating wind chills well below the actual air temperature.
Wind advisories are in effect for much of Saturday across a broad area from the Midwest and Great Lakes, into the Ohio Valley and Appalachians, where wind gusts up to 50 mph are possible. High wind warnings have also been issued for portions of western and central Ohio and southern Indiana.
Saturday afternoon, a wind gust of 71 mph was reported in Straughn, Indiana and a wind gust of 59 mph were measured at the Chicago Midway International Airport. Road signs were bent near Andrew, Iowa and a semi trailer was blown over on Interstate 155 near Hartsburg, Illinois.
High wind warnings and watches, as well as wind advisories, have also been issued for portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast for Saturday night into Sunday. Wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible in the areas under high wind warnings, which may result in downed trees and power outages.
(FORECASTS: Green Bay | Cleveland | Boston)

Wind Alerts

Low temperatures will be in the 20s and 30s for much of the Upper Midwest and interior Northeast, with teens and a few single digits likely near the Canadian border from northern Minnesota to northern New England.
Morning wind chills on Sunday and Monday may be in the single digits and teens across much of the Great Lakes and interior Northeast, with 20s closer to the coast.

Forecast AM Lows

Clippers to Bring Snow

With the cold air in place, two rounds of snow are possible in parts of the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast this weekend into early next week as a duo of low-pressure systems pass through. A third system could bring even more wintry weather to those regions during the middle part of next week, but details are uncertain.
Here's an overview for the first two systems.
System #1:

• Saturday night: Low pressure pushes toward New England with snow or a rain/snow mixture expected from the mountains of West Virginia to Pennsylvania, New York and New England. Thundersnow is even a possiblity in southern New England. A few snow showers may linger in northeastern Ohio and southeastern Michigan.
• Sunday: Snow continues in portions of New England during the morning.
• Accumulations: Mainly light snowfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are expected from northern Minnesota to Wisconsin, Michigan, northern Pennsylvania, Upstate New York and New England.

Saturday Night's Forecast

Sunday's Forecast

System #2:

• A second area of low pressure will dive south into the Upper Midwest Sunday and then pivot through the Great Lakes and Northeast Monday.
• Though details are uncertain, some accumulating snow is possible along the path of this system from northern Minnesota to Michigan, northern Pennsylvania, Upstate New York and New England. Some ocean-effect snow is also possible in southern New England on Tuesday.
• Below are the latest forecast maps showing areas that could see snow Sunday night into Monday, though keep in mind this forecast is subject to change in the days ahead.

Sunday Night's Forecast

Monday's Forecast

Below is our snowfall forecast for both systems through Tuesday.

Snowfall Forecast

Snowfall Reports

Here are the top snow totals so far by state:
Illinois: 0.5 inch at Midway Airport
Michigan: 8 inches near Negaunee
Minnesota: 5.5 inches near Leonidas
Wisconsin: 7.1 inches near Twin Lakes
Near zero visibility was reported in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois midday Saturday in heavy snow bands. Thundersnow was reported near Crystal Lake, Illinois in the morning, and at Johnstown, Pennsylvania in the evening.
Showers with small hail moved across southern New England late Saturday afternoon, locally covering some roadways in Bristol, Connecticut.
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