End in sight for late-spring chill in Northeast
By
Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated May 11, 2021 9:01 AM EDT
A waterspout formed right behind this resident’s house on Barnegat Bay in Toms River, New Jersey, on May 8.
Brisk conditions overtook much of the Northeast and Great Lakes just in time for Mother's Day weekend, with snow falling and creating a wintry landscape in some areas. Chilly conditions are forecast to stick around a little longer, but AccuWeather meteorologists say that a warmup is finally on the horizon.
"What in the world is all of this? It's May!" one woman can be heard saying while filming a snowy scene outside of a window in Lyndhurst, Ohio.
It has been a chilly last few days across portions of the Great Lakes and Northeast. Temperatures struggled to reach the upper 50s in cities like Indianapolis and Detroit Friday and Saturday, while locations like Pittsburgh and Boston were trapped in the lower to middle 50s on Saturday. Wet weather during this time also helped to block out the strong spring sunshine and keep temperatures lower.
To close out the weekend, rain overspread the region Sunday, once again dropping temperatures to below-normal levels.
"The average high temperature for cities like Pittsburgh and Chicago at this point in May usually hovers within one or two degrees of 70, so this extended stretch of chilly weather may have come as quite a shock," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert.
This may be especially true following a warmer-than-normal April for many of the same areas. Chicago's average temperature during April climbed 3 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, and New York City's average temperature in April was 1.7 degrees above normal.
Since the start of May, temperatures have averaged close to normal in Chicago, and temperatures have trended 1.1 degrees below normal in the Big Apple so far this month.
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And the chilly air is likely to stick around even longer, into the middle of the week.
High temperatures are forecast to remain as much as 10 degrees below normal through Wednesday, prolonging the chill across much of the Northeast.
This would mean high temperatures in the lower to middle 50s for Chicago through Tuesday, and highs in the lower 60s for New York City, temperatures more akin to the first half of April.
Although clouds and isolated showers could linger across the region through Tuesday, a potent high pressure is forecast to deliver one last punch of cold, Canadian air into the region Tuesday night and Wednesday. This air will also be dry enough to break the clouds, and allow for overnight temperatures to drop into the 30s.
AccuWeather meteorologists are also warning that frost could be a concern as well overnight and in the early morning hours especially Monday night and Tuesday night, mainly in the normally colder spots. If possible, any warm-season plants should be covered or brought inside.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Randy Adkins, more cold-tolerant plants like kale, spinach or peas may be able to tolerate the cool spell.
For residents wondering what happened to more normal temperatures for May, less chilly conditions are on the way for the end of the week.
The air will start to moderate Thursday under a sunnier sky, allowing temperatures to rise a few degrees. Even with a few showers around on Friday, the warmer conditions are in store.
Temperatures are likely to return to the mid- to upper 60s from Michigan and Indiana on eastward through the Northeast to the New England coast. More southerly locations, like Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., are likely to hit the 70-degree mark by the end of the week.
The milder air will also diminish the frost risk by Thursday night, and allow it to not be a concern throughout next weekend.
For the second half of May, temperatures are forecast to moderate, bringing temperatures back to near-normal levels or perhaps even slightly above normal, according to AccuWeather's long-range forecast team.
This pattern would suggest temperatures could reach the lower 70s in cities like Boston and Detroit to the upper 70s in cities like Washington D.C., and Columbus, Ohio, sometime next week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Weather Forecasts
End in sight for late-spring chill in Northeast
By Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated May 11, 2021 9:01 AM EDT
A waterspout formed right behind this resident’s house on Barnegat Bay in Toms River, New Jersey, on May 8.
Brisk conditions overtook much of the Northeast and Great Lakes just in time for Mother's Day weekend, with snow falling and creating a wintry landscape in some areas. Chilly conditions are forecast to stick around a little longer, but AccuWeather meteorologists say that a warmup is finally on the horizon.
"What in the world is all of this? It's May!" one woman can be heard saying while filming a snowy scene outside of a window in Lyndhurst, Ohio.
It has been a chilly last few days across portions of the Great Lakes and Northeast. Temperatures struggled to reach the upper 50s in cities like Indianapolis and Detroit Friday and Saturday, while locations like Pittsburgh and Boston were trapped in the lower to middle 50s on Saturday. Wet weather during this time also helped to block out the strong spring sunshine and keep temperatures lower.
To close out the weekend, rain overspread the region Sunday, once again dropping temperatures to below-normal levels.
"The average high temperature for cities like Pittsburgh and Chicago at this point in May usually hovers within one or two degrees of 70, so this extended stretch of chilly weather may have come as quite a shock," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert.
This may be especially true following a warmer-than-normal April for many of the same areas. Chicago's average temperature during April climbed 3 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, and New York City's average temperature in April was 1.7 degrees above normal.
Since the start of May, temperatures have averaged close to normal in Chicago, and temperatures have trended 1.1 degrees below normal in the Big Apple so far this month.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
And the chilly air is likely to stick around even longer, into the middle of the week.
High temperatures are forecast to remain as much as 10 degrees below normal through Wednesday, prolonging the chill across much of the Northeast.
This would mean high temperatures in the lower to middle 50s for Chicago through Tuesday, and highs in the lower 60s for New York City, temperatures more akin to the first half of April.
Although clouds and isolated showers could linger across the region through Tuesday, a potent high pressure is forecast to deliver one last punch of cold, Canadian air into the region Tuesday night and Wednesday. This air will also be dry enough to break the clouds, and allow for overnight temperatures to drop into the 30s.
AccuWeather meteorologists are also warning that frost could be a concern as well overnight and in the early morning hours especially Monday night and Tuesday night, mainly in the normally colder spots. If possible, any warm-season plants should be covered or brought inside.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Randy Adkins, more cold-tolerant plants like kale, spinach or peas may be able to tolerate the cool spell.
For residents wondering what happened to more normal temperatures for May, less chilly conditions are on the way for the end of the week.
The air will start to moderate Thursday under a sunnier sky, allowing temperatures to rise a few degrees. Even with a few showers around on Friday, the warmer conditions are in store.
Temperatures are likely to return to the mid- to upper 60s from Michigan and Indiana on eastward through the Northeast to the New England coast. More southerly locations, like Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., are likely to hit the 70-degree mark by the end of the week.
The milder air will also diminish the frost risk by Thursday night, and allow it to not be a concern throughout next weekend.
Related:
For the second half of May, temperatures are forecast to moderate, bringing temperatures back to near-normal levels or perhaps even slightly above normal, according to AccuWeather's long-range forecast team.
This pattern would suggest temperatures could reach the lower 70s in cities like Boston and Detroit to the upper 70s in cities like Washington D.C., and Columbus, Ohio, sometime next week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo