Temperatures to crash following record-challenging warmth in eastern US
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Mar 19, 2020 4:24 PM EDT
A potent storm, responsible for severe weather and blizzard conditions, in the central United States will also send a surge of warmth northward, followed by a blast of chilly air in the East during the first days of spring, which officially began at 11:50 p.m. EDT Thursday.
Temperatures are not likely to breach record high levels on a mass scale, but a few locations in the Eastern states could come within a few degrees, tie or break levels not experienced for several decades to as far back as the World War I and II eras on Friday.
Temperatures are forecast to climb into the 50s, 60s and 70s F across New England and reach well into the 80s to near 90 in parts of the Southeast on Friday.
The warmth is likely to be welcomed as millions are staying home amid the COVID-19 pandemic and seeking ways to safely escape outdoors for a break. Forecasters say the late-week warmth will be accompanied by periods of rain, and the AccuWeather app can help determine when rain and thunderstorms will arrive for your location.
Unfortunately for those hoping that chilly weather is a thing of the past, a blast of colder air that was gathering momentum over the northern Plains and Rockies on Thursday will sweep across the Midwest on Friday and into much of the East by Saturday.
"Air more typical of late-April or early May is going to suddenly snap back toward a late-winter feel by Saturday as a strong cold front sweeps through the region," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
"Daytime highs over a large portion of the Great Lakes, Northeast, Middle Atlantic and Ohio Valley will be anywhere from 20 to 30 degrees lower on Saturday compared to Friday," he added.
High temperatures will be in the middle 70s in the New York City area on Friday but only near 50 on Saturday. A low near freezing is forecast for the Big Apple Sunday morning.
Temperatures will be slashed by an average of 25 to 50 degrees across the eastern U.S. from peak levels on Friday to the lowest levels on Saturday night.
For example, Bradford, Pennsylvania, is forecast to have a high in the middle 60s on Friday, but the temperature will plunge to the lower 20s by Saturday morning and then to the middle teens by Sunday morning.
AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures could range from 50 to 70 degrees lower from being in the sun on Friday afternoon to stepping out Sunday morning shortly after daybreak.
Showers and locally gusty thunderstorms from Friday to Friday night will mark the approach of the colder air.
"Unlike parts of the Rockies and Plains, we are not looking at a rapid freeze-up as most areas across the interior will dry out before temperatures drop below freezing this weekend due to a gusty wind," Anderson said.
The cherry blossoms have officially reached peak bloom in Washington, D.C., on Friday. Gusty winds may knock off some of the blossoms, but forecasters say the winds are not likely to be strong enough to ruin the show altogether.
The D.C. cherry trees have officially reached peak bloom on Friday, March 20, 2020, nearly a week ahead of the original forecast. Unusually warm conditions have pushed the blossoming up this season. (National Mall NPS)
People who plan on checking out the blossoms or other outdoor locations are urged to follow recommendations from by the National Park Service to address the circumstances this year.
"Although the park is not closed, we encourage all visitors, particularly the most vulnerable, including the elderly and people with underlying conditions, to make smart decisions and to follow CDC guidance to help reduce the spread of COVID-19," the NPS said in the statement.
For those who can't make it to see the blossoms in person, a new web cam courtesy of the National Mall and the Cherry Blossom Festival shows the Tidal Basin adorned in white and pink blooms in all of its glory.
It's not just in D.C. where signs of spring are all around ahead of this cold snap. Spring leaf out is well ahead of schedule from the Deep South into the mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley. According to the National Weather Service, leafs are emerging three to four weeks earlier than the 30-year average across these regions of the country.
However, once the cold air mass settles in, AccuWeather meteorologists predict that it will linger into Sunday and Monday for some areas.
"Just enough cold air may stick around to which set the stage for wintry precipitation over the interior Northeast as a double-barreled storm affects the the region from late Sunday night to Monday and Monday night," Anderson added.
Despite what the calendar says, winter is not quite done yet.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Weather Forecasts
Temperatures to crash following record-challenging warmth in eastern US
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Mar 19, 2020 4:24 PM EDT
A potent storm, responsible for severe weather and blizzard conditions, in the central United States will also send a surge of warmth northward, followed by a blast of chilly air in the East during the first days of spring, which officially began at 11:50 p.m. EDT Thursday.
Temperatures are not likely to breach record high levels on a mass scale, but a few locations in the Eastern states could come within a few degrees, tie or break levels not experienced for several decades to as far back as the World War I and II eras on Friday.
Temperatures are forecast to climb into the 50s, 60s and 70s F across New England and reach well into the 80s to near 90 in parts of the Southeast on Friday.
The warmth is likely to be welcomed as millions are staying home amid the COVID-19 pandemic and seeking ways to safely escape outdoors for a break. Forecasters say the late-week warmth will be accompanied by periods of rain, and the AccuWeather app can help determine when rain and thunderstorms will arrive for your location.
Unfortunately for those hoping that chilly weather is a thing of the past, a blast of colder air that was gathering momentum over the northern Plains and Rockies on Thursday will sweep across the Midwest on Friday and into much of the East by Saturday.
"Air more typical of late-April or early May is going to suddenly snap back toward a late-winter feel by Saturday as a strong cold front sweeps through the region," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
"Daytime highs over a large portion of the Great Lakes, Northeast, Middle Atlantic and Ohio Valley will be anywhere from 20 to 30 degrees lower on Saturday compared to Friday," he added.
High temperatures will be in the middle 70s in the New York City area on Friday but only near 50 on Saturday. A low near freezing is forecast for the Big Apple Sunday morning.
Temperatures will be slashed by an average of 25 to 50 degrees across the eastern U.S. from peak levels on Friday to the lowest levels on Saturday night.
For example, Bradford, Pennsylvania, is forecast to have a high in the middle 60s on Friday, but the temperature will plunge to the lower 20s by Saturday morning and then to the middle teens by Sunday morning.
AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures could range from 50 to 70 degrees lower from being in the sun on Friday afternoon to stepping out Sunday morning shortly after daybreak.
Related:
Showers and locally gusty thunderstorms from Friday to Friday night will mark the approach of the colder air.
"Unlike parts of the Rockies and Plains, we are not looking at a rapid freeze-up as most areas across the interior will dry out before temperatures drop below freezing this weekend due to a gusty wind," Anderson said.
The cherry blossoms have officially reached peak bloom in Washington, D.C., on Friday. Gusty winds may knock off some of the blossoms, but forecasters say the winds are not likely to be strong enough to ruin the show altogether.
The D.C. cherry trees have officially reached peak bloom on Friday, March 20, 2020, nearly a week ahead of the original forecast. Unusually warm conditions have pushed the blossoming up this season. (National Mall NPS)
People who plan on checking out the blossoms or other outdoor locations are urged to follow recommendations from by the National Park Service to address the circumstances this year.
"Although the park is not closed, we encourage all visitors, particularly the most vulnerable, including the elderly and people with underlying conditions, to make smart decisions and to follow CDC guidance to help reduce the spread of COVID-19," the NPS said in the statement.
For those who can't make it to see the blossoms in person, a new web cam courtesy of the National Mall and the Cherry Blossom Festival shows the Tidal Basin adorned in white and pink blooms in all of its glory.
It's not just in D.C. where signs of spring are all around ahead of this cold snap. Spring leaf out is well ahead of schedule from the Deep South into the mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley. According to the National Weather Service, leafs are emerging three to four weeks earlier than the 30-year average across these regions of the country.
However, once the cold air mass settles in, AccuWeather meteorologists predict that it will linger into Sunday and Monday for some areas.
"Just enough cold air may stick around to which set the stage for wintry precipitation over the interior Northeast as a double-barreled storm affects the the region from late Sunday night to Monday and Monday night," Anderson added.
Despite what the calendar says, winter is not quite done yet.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo