No fooling: Chilly air, snow loom for Great Lakes and Northeast in early April
Winter will stage yet another interruption in spring conditions for the Great Lakes and Northeast in the form of cold, gusty winds and heavy snow for some during the first week of April.
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What could be Mother Nature's form of a cruel April Fools' joke for fans of warm weather will be a reality for Great Lakes and Northeast residents during the early days of the new month: February-like cold and heavy snow.
A storm making a cross-country trek over the coming days will bring along a flurry of impactful weather from coast-to-coast, including the risk for an all-out winter storm mid- to late this week.
The risk for accumulating snow will stem from the same storm that will bring a multi-day stint of severe weather across the central and eastern United States early in the week. On the storm’s northern flank, cold air rushing southward from Canada will allow rain to change over to snow, returning wintry weather around midweek.
“Though severe weather may be what is garnering the most attention on the storm's southern flank, the northern side should not be ignored,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski stated.
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On Tuesday, there will be enough cold air in place for some snow to develop across parts of Wisconsin or northern Illinois. From there, the snowflakes will evolve into an all-out snowstorm and then extend eastward across much of lower Michigan by Tuesday night.
This late-season wet snowfall could snarl travel in some areas, and it is not out of the question that a few snowflakes will even mix in with rain in cities such as Detroit and Chicago.
"Exactly where the center of the storm develops near the coast, in terms of north versus south, will determine the southern extent of heavy snow that is certain to fall on part of the Northeast," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
A snowfall of 1-2 feet is anticipated in the Green Mountains of Vermont, the White Mountains in New Hampshire and over much of central and northwestern Maine. This area has an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ snowfall of 3 feet.
“There will be enough cold air in place that snowflakes could mix in all the way to Boston by late Wednesday into Thursday with some accumulations possible across the Worcester Hills,” Pydynowski said.
"Should the storm develop far enough south, the heaviest snowstorm of the season could occur in Boston," Sosnowski added.
Not only will heavy snow be of concern, but gusty, cold winds can accompany the storm mid- to late week as the storm intensifies along the Atlantic coast.
This combination of snow and wind can lead to very hazardous travel conditions across the Northeast.
"Several days of cold winds will accompany and follow the storm that is likely to be a slow-mover," Sosnowski said. "It may seem like winter finally showed up."
Cold air pressing in on the backside of the storm will have some staying power, keeping the April chill in place through late week.
Temperatures are expected to be 5-15 degrees Fahrenheit below historical averages for early April. The gusty winds will make it feel even more wintry by lowering AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures. Even into the day on Friday, lingering snow showers and blustery conditions are expected to continue across a majority of the interior Northeast.
Although many across the region may be growing tired of the wintry weather, the early April snowfall will be a boon to ski resorts still open across New England and should help to extend the season well into April.
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