Record Chill to Loosen Grip on East, Midwest in March

By Brian Lada, Meteorologist

February 27,2015; 11:30PM,EST

 

 

February is shaping up to be one of the coldest months in the record books for the Northeast and Midwest, but this chill will weaken heading into March.
Temperatures plummeted below zero across much of the Midwest, Northeast and Tennessee Valley on several occasions during February, setting record lows in dozens of cities.
Temperatures are not forecast to be quite as extreme heading into the first week of March, giving folks across the regions a break from the bitterly cold arctic air.
According to AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson, "Indications are the pattern will change next week so that the cold is much less severe from the Midwest to the Northeast."
This will still yield temperatures 5 to 15 degrees below normal. Despite staying below normal, this is still a significant difference from around the middle of February when temperatures from Minnesota to Massachusetts ran 15 to 30 degrees below normal.

After a winter storm slides across the Midwest and Northeast this weekend, another storm system will affect the regions during the first part of next week.
Unlike the storms that tracked across the regions during February, this upcoming storm is expected to track farther north. As a result, temperatures will climb well above freezing across the Ohio Valley along the Interstate-95 corridor.
Farther south, some people may come down with a case of spring fever as highs could top out in the 80s in parts of Georgia and Florida.
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This is not expected to be a long-lasting warmth; however, as another push of cold Canadian air moves over the regions in the wake of the storm.
As a result, temperatures are expected to tumble during the second part of next week. However, this push of cold air should not be as extreme as some that brought record lows across the East and Midwest during the month of February.

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The coldest air during the second half of next week will be centered over an area west of the Appalachians to the Rockies.
While the rise in temperature during March may be welcome by most, others may find it to be troublesome.
With how much snow that has fallen in New England this season, the uptick in temperatures paired with rain brought by next week's storm system could lead to localized flooding and ice jams on rivers.
An additional danger may come to those around Boston.
The combination of snow on roofs and rainwater will bring an increased risk of roof collapses due to the added weight of the water.
People across New England are encouraged to remove snow from their roofs ahead of the warmth and rain to reduce the risk of roof collapses.