Arctic air to plunge back into midwestern, eastern US at midweek

By Kyle Elliott, AccuWeather meteorologist

February 5,2017, 11:40:54AM,EST

 

 

Following a major winter storm set to unleash rain, snow, ice and gusty thunderstorms in the central and eastern U.S., arctic air will briefly surge back into the Midwest and East by midweek.
The arctic blast may be a shock for residents from the Deep South to the mid-Atlantic, who are set to enjoy record-breaking warmth on Tuesday.
Highs in the middle to upper 70s F are in store for the Deep South, with middle to upper 60s extending northward into the Ohio Valley and southern mid-Atlantic.
“The mildest air since mid-January will surge into the East from Tuesday into Wednesday morning as temperatures soar to levels 15-25 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, with readings between 5 and 15 degrees above normal in the Midwest on Tuesday,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun said.
However, the springlike warmth will be short-lived as a quick blast of arctic air returns to the Midwest by Wednesday and reaches the East Coast by Thursday.

Temperatures behind the storm will be slashed by 20-30 degrees, dipping to between 5 and 15 degrees below normal from the Midwest to the East, according to Rathbun.
After high temperatures reach the upper 50s in Indianapolis on Tuesday, they will struggle to reach the middle 30s by Wednesday and the 30-degree mark on Thursday.
Residents in Washington, D.C., can trade in winter coats for t-shirts on Tuesday and Wednesday as temperatures soar into the middle 60s.
However, highs in the middle 40s on Thursday and Friday will make it necessary for residents to once again break out their winter gear.
Related:
Multifaceted storm to hit midwestern and eastern US with snow, ice, rain, thunderstorms and wind
Record-breaking warmth to surge into eastern US before cold returns
AccuWeather Winter Weather Center
Across the Southeast, April-like warmth will quickly be whisked away by Thursday as temperatures slide back to those typically felt in early February.
Although the cold may come as a shock after the beginning of the week, extreme cold will remain locked up across Canada.


“There is a chance that a winter storm may interact with the brief cold shot and bring a bout of snow to the mid-Atlantic and New England by late week, but this outcome is uncertain at this time,” Rathbun said.