Following a surge of mild air and the highest temperatures since the middle of December in many locations, a new shot of cold air will enter the north-central United States beginning at midweek.

Mild Pacific air will allow temperatures to climb into the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s F over much of the Central and Eastern states for a time this week.

People should take advantage of the spell of mild weather to free their property of ice and snow. Car washes will likely be busy during the thaw.

Before long, the thaw will be erased by a new sweep of cold air. However, it may take two storms to bring that colder air to the Atlantic coast.

"At this time, it appears the upcoming cold shot will neither be as severe, nor as long-lasting as that already experienced this winter," according to AccuWeather Long-Range Meteorologist Max Vido.

"As the cold air bottoms out, temperatures are likely to be 10 to 20 degrees higher, when compared to the lowest temperatures experienced during late December and the start of January," Vido said.

Actual temperatures may struggle to reach zero over the northern Plains and Upper Midwest and may not rise out of the teens for Chicago and Detroit for a day or two.

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The worst part of the cold wave may be as it is first settling into the region behind the first storm storm over the northern Plains from Wednesday to Thursday. This will be due to the strong winds around the periphery of the upcoming snowstorm.

It may take until next Sunday for the cold air to reach the Interstate-95 corridor. By the time the air reaches the Atlantic Seaboard, temperatures may be no lower than average in many cases.

The cold air may not reach parts of the Deep South until later next weekend.

Second storm may bring snow to heavily populated areas of Midwest

Farther to the east, a second storm is forecast to track from the Ohio Valley to the eastern Great Lakes at the end of the week. This second storm will delay the arrival of the return of cold air to the Appalachians and Atlantic Seaboard.

This second storm has the potential to not only kick up winds in its wake over the Ohio Valley and eastern Great Lakes, but may bring an area of snow to areas missed by the midweek storm.

Exactly where the heaviest snow falls will depend on the exact track of the storm. For example, it is possible the swath from St. Louis to Indianapolis, Chicago and Detroit might be hit by snow. Or, if the storm track is farther to the east, perhaps areas from Cincinnati to Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo, New York, may be hit.

Regardless of the track of the second storm, a new round of lake-effect snow will commence by next weekend.

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