Mild days to outnumber chilly ones in northeastern US into late February

Aside from a few chilly days here and there, most of the time will be mild in the northeastern United States into the end of February.

"Following the downward slide in temperatures over the past couple of days, mild air will bounce back across much of the Northeast later this week," according to AccuWeather Long-Range Meteorologist Max Vido.

Temperatures are forecast to rebound to 15-20 degrees Fahrenheit above average on Thursday and Friday.

Highs will be well into the 40s across the northern tier with highs in the 50s common over southern New England and the upper mid-Atlantic region.

Where there is deep snowcover, temperatures are likely to be held back by several degrees. Where melting snow leads to runoff during the day, patches of ice may form at night, even if projected low temperatures are above freezing.

From near the Mason-Dixon Line on south, temperatures are projected to climb into the 60s or higher later this week.

"Another batch of chilly air will invade the region from later Friday into Saturday," Vido said. "However, the cold air will not last more than a day or two. By early next week, temperatures are likely to be on the upswing."

This fresh cold air may catch up with a storm and produce a few inches of snow over parts of the Ohio Valley, central Appalachians and coastal Northeast spanning Saturday to Saturday night.

It is possible that some of the record-challenging warmth projected for the Southern states this week will reach part of the Northeast next week.

Meanwhile, the sunniest days along the Interstate-95 corridor are likely to be when chilly air from southern Canada is in operation, rather than during mild conditions this week. This is because the mild air originating from the Gulf of Mexico will be much more moist than the chilly air.

It is possible that sunshine may accompany the warmth along the I-95 corridor for a couple of days next week. Farther west, a zone of clouds and rain may set up over the Midwest and Ohio Valley.

"Beyond next week, there is the potential for cold air to return to the Northeast based on goings on recently high in the atmosphere over the North Pole," Vido said.

Recent sudden warming occurred near the North Pole last week. This usually translates to a discharge of frigid air over the mid-latitudes of one to two continents of North America, Europe or Asia beginning 10-14 days later.

For now, there is no sign of the mild weather in the East breaking down.

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