Spring chill, summer warmth battleground to set up over northeastern US this week
Weather can change pretty quickly and it most certainly did in Rochester, Minnesota. It was bright and sunny out on April 26 only for it to become snowy the very next day.
This week will be a tale of two seasons across the northeastern United States as spring chill holds firm in New England, while the warmest days so far this year occur in the southern mid-Atlantic.
As April transitions to May, highs typically range from the middle 50s to the middle 60s in New England and the middle 60s to lower 70s in the mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley.
However, most days this week in all of these regions will not be normal.
"People in portions of New York state, Pennsylvania and other states nearby woke up to a dose of heavy frost on Monday morning," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
Frost in these areas is not uncommon during late April.
Jackets will be needed in New England and upstate New York with temperatures being held to the 50s, and even the 40s in some communities, on a nearly daily basis in Portland, Maine; Boston; Bangor, Maine; and Burlington, Vermont.
On the other hand, residents of the mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley will be pulling out short-sleeve shirts and shorts on more than one occasion this week.
Similar to what will be experienced in the Southeast, this week will bring the warmest weather so far this year to Pittsburgh; Charleston, West Virginia; Charlottesville and Richmond, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; and Dover, Delaware.
Multiple days in the 80s are expected this week from parts of the Ohio Valley to the mid-Atlantic.
"There can also be a 90-degree day in the eastern Ohio Valley, such as Charleston, West Virginia," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Jim Andrews.
Temperatures may also reach 90 F around Richmond, Virginia, Tuesday into Thursday.
Residents will have to take the necessary steps to not overexert themselves amid the early season heat. Remember that heat can still build to dangerous levels inside sealed vehicles on sunny days this time of year.
Wednesday may be the warmest day of the week in the eastern Ohio Valley, when temperatures in the 80s can spread to Pittsburgh and even Cleveland, Ohio.
"For Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, the warmest day will be on Thursday," Andrews said. However, 80-degree days this week may not be as persistent in these cities as places to the south.
Many from the Ohio Valley to southern mid-Atlantic will see thermometers soaring above the 80-degree mark this week. (BLazarus/Pixabay)
The corridor from Washington, D.C., and Baltimore to Philadelphia and New York City will be the battleground between the summer warmth to the south and the spring chill to the north.
It is possible that these areas can experience a weather whip-lash on Wednesday with highs dipping 5-10 degrees lower than Tuesday.
"For New York City, it will be tough for the warmth to really break through the ocean-chilled air," Andrews said.
The fluctuating temperatures in the northern mid-Atlantic will result as storms continue to track through the Northeast, causing rounds of rain and thunderstorms to keep pestering those with outdoor plans.
Snow may also re-visit the interior of northern New England on a couple of occasions.
"If the storm late in the week follows a more northerly track, then winds would turn from the west and briefly end the spring chill across New England on Friday," Andrews said. "However, a more southern track can keep the chill in place."
Regardless of that storm's track, an end to the summer warmth over the southern mid-Atlantic will come in its wake.
Temperatures this weekend throughout the northeastern U.S. should be near to slightly below normal.
"While there can be a frost and/or freeze in parts of northern New England early Wednesday, no more rounds of frost are foreseen in the mid-Atlantic states for the balance of this week," Sosnowski said. "However, we can't rule out another frost next week in parts of New York state and Pennsylvania."
Download the free AccuWeather app for the latest temperature trends in your community. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
