Brief warmup to aid blizzard recovery across northeastern US

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

January 24,2016; 9:10PM,EST

 

 

Calm weather and then a brief rebound in temperatures will bring some relief to those digging out after the Blizzard of 2016 early this week.
High pressure building overhead will provide the mid-Atlantic and southern New England with needed calm conditions into Monday as the cleanup from the record-breaking cleanup continues.
Those clearing roads, driveways and roofs will not have to deal with gusty winds further blowing and drifting snow around.

Cold, bright for storm clean up

Residents and crews still completing such tasks are urged to use caution. It is not out of the question for weak roofs that are flat or where snow piled up unevenly to collapse in areas hardest hit by the blizzard.
"Noticeably milder air will make a brief appearance early this week," AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff said. "Locations across the Midwest and Northeast have experienced a week-long stretch of temperatures averaging 5 to 15 degrees below normal."
Most of the Northeast will remain on the chilly side on Monday as the warmer air flows over areas west of the Appalachians. Tuesday will unfold as the milder day in the Northeast with highs in many communities topping the 40s. Temperatures will run at least 10 degrees above average for much of the region.
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"It will feel much warmer considering how cold it has been recently," Duff said.
Most of the deep snowpack area, however, may not see temperatures rise quite as much as the rest of the Northeast. Many places may struggle or fail to reach the 40-degree mark. Snow acts as an insulator and keeps the ground much colder.
However, even temperatures in the upper 30s may be an improvement for some over the cold from the weekend.
Monday's sunshine and Tuesday's rebound in temperatures will allow the snow from the blizzard to melt.

However, the melting snow could alone cause problems for travelers. As overnight lows fall below freezing, runoff from the melted snow may freeze on untreated roads and sidewalks, potentially causing slick travel.
Rapid melting of the deep snowpack is not expected, erasing fears of significant flooding. Temperatures will rebound, but not to the levels and with a surge of high dew points that will totally eliminate the snow.
While not being totally erased, the deep snowpack will be reduced.
"The deep snow will erode back at the edges," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jim Andrews said. "You will get a little more clearance for traffic along the edges of roads and driveways. Any lingering snow not cleared off parking lots will melt."
"Those hoping for the deep piles to go away, that will not happen anytime soon," Andrews said.
The trend of higher temperatures will end with the arrival of a cold front moving eastward from the nation's midsection.

As the front pushes into the Northeast, rain may freeze on some surfaces in the central Appalachians early Tuesday morning.
Due to the recent cold, road temperatures will be slower to climb above freezing than air temperatures. Slick spots may still be present for a couple hours after air temperatures rise above 32 F.
If the moisture holds as the front approaches the I-95 corridor, a bit of rain could fall later Tuesday.

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It is not out of the question for the rain along the front to linger long enough for the cold air to catch up and lead to nuisance snow late Tuesday night into Wednesday along the I-95 corridor.
Otherwise, snow showers at midweek will be confined to places downwind of the Great Lakes and the interior of northern New England.
Temperatures will return back to near or slightly below normal later this week in the front's wake, and the cycle of slight melting of the snow and refreezing of wet spots at night will continue.
Later this week is also when a storm emerging from the Southeast could attempt to return more substantial snow to the Northeast.
Content contributed by AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun.