Roller-coaster ride for Northeast as cold, warmth flip-flop
March will tend to come in more like a lamb in the Northeast following a massive temperature plunge on Thursday.
Following a massive temperature drop with a freeze-up from Wednesday night to Thursday, temperatures will rebound into next week in the Northeast, but a coastal storm could drip on some outdoor plans this weekend, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
Temperatures skipped over March and surged to levels more typical of April and May with highs in the 50s, 60s and 70s F in the Northeast into the middle of the week.
All traces of the incredible warmth had left the area by early Thursday, with any remaining moisture leftover from Wednesday's storms freezing and leading to slippery spots on some roads and sidewalks.
Actual temperatures on Thursday were 20-40 degrees lower than their peak on Tuesday and Wednesday. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures were 40-60 degrees lower, adding to the shock and reality check on the last unofficial day of winter. As such, temperatures hovered around 8-15 degrees below typical levels on Thursday afternoon.
For example, Burlington, Vermont, peaked at a record-shattering 65 degrees on Tuesday, but temperatures plunged 50 degrees into the mid-10s Thursday morning and were no better than the mid-20s, with RealFeel Temperatures near zero at times in the afternoon.
More than 300 miles farther to the south, Philadelphia temperatures started Thursday near freezing. RealFeel Temperatures in the 10s and 20s during the afternoon followed high temperatures in the mid-60s from Tuesday and Wednesday.
At least for the millions who would prefer well-above-historical average temperatures rather than lower than typical for late February and early March, some good news is coming.
Despite the atmospheric dramatics to close out February with the month exiting like a lion, March will tend to come in more like a lamb in the Northeast.
The strong winds ushering in the cold air eased Thursday night, and a light breeze from the south will develop on Friday, which should allow temperatures to moderate, AccuWeather Meteorologist Joseph Bauer said. Temperatures will recover within a few degrees of seasonal levels during the afternoon, with widespread highs in the 40s and even the 50s in southwestern Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia.
The warmup will not stop there. "Temperatures will climb back near 60 in much of the Interstate-95 mid-Atlantic, which will be a more typical temperature of mid-April by the end of the weekend," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Courtney Travis said.
If it were not for a storm springing up from the Gulf of Mexico, temperatures might tack on another 10 degrees or more by the end of the weekend.
That storm will generate clouds, some rain and drizzle over the region. It is possible that temperatures will be low enough at the onset Friday night for some wet snow or a wintry mix from parts of northeastern Pennsylvania to New England.
The storm will also disrupt the southerly flow of warmer air just enough to stop the warming process on Saturday and leave a wedge of cool air with light winds in its wake on Sunday.
In some locations, a return of March sunshine will begin boosting temperatures, but cool conditions may lag in areas where low clouds linger. Regardless of the amount of clouds versus sunshine, Sunday will end up being the better of the two days for springtime outdoor activities as most places will be free of rain.
From this weekend to early next week, the Northeast will miss out on another round of incredible warmth as an approaching storm draws 70- and 80-degree air northward over the Plains and Mississippi Valley.
The atmospheric setup farther to the east from Monday to Tuesday will draw moisture northward from the Gulf of Mexico in the form of clouds. Another weak storm may spring up and again affect coastal areas with spotty rain. Regardless, widespread highs in the 50s and 60s are in store, with a few spots likely to flirt with 70 degrees in Virginia, West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania.
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