WeatherFanatics: Arctic Cold Returning to Midwest, East Despite Spring

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Arctic Cold Returning to Midwest, East Despite Spring

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

March 22,2014; 5:22PM,EDT

Despite the official arrival of spring, temperatures over the next several days will feel more like January across the Midwest and East and will set the stage for snow in some communities.
The passage of a cold front will pave the way for fresh arctic air to erase the mild start to spring in the Midwest and East.
Gone is the warmth that sent temperatures into the 40s in Minneapolis, 50s in Chicago and 70s in St. Louis on Friday.
South of the snow falling in northern New England, Saturday will prove to be the Northeast's last mild day until later next week.

This cold spell will produce high and low temperatures on par with typical January readings (in terms of averages, not what was recorded during this past frigid January).
As another way to put the cold in perspective to late March, highs will be roughly 15 to 20 degrees below normal in the Midwest and Northeast and up to 25 degrees below normal in the Upper Midwest.
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By midweek, Duluth and International Falls, Minn., will experience at least two days of highs in the teens and subzero overnight lows.
Highs in the 20s will return to Minneapolis and Detroit, while Chicago records at least four consecutive days of daytime highs in the 30s. Temperatures will be held to the 30s southward to St. Louis and Cincinnati on Tuesday.

Monday will be a cold day across the Northeast with highs in the teens across most of the St. Lawrence Valley, 20s southward to I-84 and 30s in Pittsburgh, New York City, Philadelphia and Atlantic City.
This latest arctic blast may set the stage for generally nuisance snow to spread across the Midwest Monday through Tuesday, while the potential for a more potent snowstorm unfolding along the East Coast is being monitored for Tuesday and Wednesday.

If a major snowstorm does indeed take shape along the East Coast, Wednesday could feel even colder than Monday across the Northeast as blustery winds howl on the storm's backside.
Outdoor spring sports and activities are ramping up at the collegiate and high school levels, and the cold threatens to cause problems for participants and spectators.
"The cold could force the cancellation or postponement of some scheduled events," stated AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Mike Doll.
Athletes will be able to put the winter jackets, extra layers of clothing, hats and gloves they will need to keep themselves warm over the next several days back into the closet later this week with another brief surge of warmth expected.

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