Northeast caught in winter's grip this week
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Mar 17, 2021 7:56 AM EST
Chilly weather arrived over the weekend across the Northeast and may have served as a reality check for those fooled by the “fake spring” that arrived last week and ushered in temperatures in the 60s, 70s and even near 80 degrees Fahrenheit. AccuWeather forecasters say that the battle between winter and spring will persist this week — and winter may have the upper hand. Cold days are likely to outweigh milder days this week, and snow and ice will be in the offing, adding to the wintry feel.
Farther west, the typical battle between the seasons that takes place in March was put on full display over the weekend — with weather swings that were even more dramatic. A historic storm buried portions of the Rockies and High Plains under record-shattering snowfall totals just days after temperatures had soared some 20 degrees above normal with Denver reporting afternoon temperatures as high as 70 F.
The latest burst of cold air was still gripping the Northeast on Monday morning. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures were in the single digits in New York City and below zero across much of New England to start the day.
Winds howled across the Northeast on Sunday, with gusts approaching 60 mph in parts of New York state. The gusty winds allowed a brush fire to grow in size rapidly, forcing evacuations and closing a porrion of the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey on Sunday.
Highs on Monday ranged from the lower teens in northern Maine to the mid-40s in southern Virginia. The normal high temperature this week is around 50 degrees in New York City and ranges from the middle 30s in northern Maine to the upper 50s in southern Virginia.
Temperatures on Tuesday inched 5-10 degrees higher when compared to Monday but stopped short of average levels. Tuesday's highs reached the middle 20s in northern Maine to near 50 in southern Virginia.
Instead of sunshine for most areas, a storm headed eastward on Tuesday and brought spotty wintry precipitation to part of the region as well. This was the same storm that brought the massive snowfall to Denver and Boulder, Colorado, as well as Cheyenne and Casper, Wyoming.
For those still ailing with sore backs from shoveling snow in the Northeast this winter, the storm is but a shell of what it once was and will brought generally light precipitation or failed to bring any precipitation at all in some cases.
Dry air limited precipitation amounts in New England and northern New York state on Tuesday, AccuWeather Senior Storm-Warning Meteorologist Brian Wimer said.
A few snowflakes even fell in the New York City area Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday evening. Some mixed precipitation that includes wet snow, sleet and rain extended southward through the mountains in central and northeastern Pennsylvania and eastward across parts of northern New Jersey, the Hudson Valley of New York state and the hills in northwestern Connecticut.
Since paved surfaces tend to warm up quickly during the middle of March, even when the sky is overcast, few, if any, problems occurred on the roads.
The mildest stretch of weather for this week is expected to be from Wednesday to Thursday, when temperatures are projected to reach average levels to perhaps as much as 10 degrees above average.
With peak highs forecast to range from near 40 in northern New England to near 60 in southern Virginia, it will be a far cry from the warmth last week.
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AccuWeather meteorologists are tracking another cross-country storm that is expected to reach the Eastern states on Thursday and may linger into Friday or later. That storm affected California on Monday and will swing through the Four Corners states and central Plains with some snow into midweek.
Even though the storm is not likely to be as intense as its predecessor in terms of the amount of snow it may bring to the Rockies, it will maintain more strength farther to the east as it moves along at a fairly swift pace. This same storm is expected to bring multiple days of severe weather, including a significant tornado risk to the Central and Southeastern states, and could bring wintry precipitation to parts of the Northeast as well.
On the tail end of late-week rain in the East, cold air may catch up to moisture fast enough to allow rain to change to snow in some locations.
"There is the potential for some snow across the higher elevations from the southern tier of New York to northern and central Pennsylvania as well as the mountains of West Virginia and western Virginia and the hills and mountains in western Massachusetts and northwestern Connecticut from later Thursday to early Friday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys said.
"The snow is likely to be wet and clinging in nature but can amount to 1-3 inches, especially on grassy and elevated surfaces," Roys added.
In terms of impact, the snowfall, should it materialize, would be more of a nuisance but can lead to a slushy and slippery accumulation on roads.
In a snowier scenario, should the cold air race in quickly, prior to the main body of the storm moving out to sea, then a band of light to moderate accumulating snow may stretch from northern Virginia through southeastern New England on Friday.
Just as the week started with below-average temperatures, it is also forecast to finish in a similar manner, but perhaps a little less extreme.
On Friday, highs are projected to range from the upper 20s in northern Maine to the lower 50s in southern Virginia.
For those already looking forward to the weekend for travel or outdoor plans, a definitive chill is in store for the nighttime and morning hours. Temperatures will start Saturday in the single digits to lower teens in the northern parts of New York state and New England to the middle to upper 30s along the Interstate 95 corridor from New York City to Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia.
The late-week storm will strengthen while moving out to sea, stirring gusty winds that will add significant chill to the air Friday into Saturday along the New England and mid-Atlantic coasts. Northerly winds may average 15-30 mph with gusts between 35 and 45 mph on Saturday morning. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures may be as much as 20 degrees lower than the actual temperature.
The forward progress of that late-week storm may slow to a crawl in eastern Virginia, Maryland and Delaware to the point where clouds and spotty rain and perhaps wet snowflakes could linger during the first part of the weekend.
On a brighter note, as the weekend progresses, winds will ease in the rest of the region with most areas expected to bask in strong late-March sunshine. So while the outside air may require a heavy jacket and even a hat and gloves for those that mind the chill on Saturday, cruising around in the car may be comfortable without the heat on.
Temperatures are forecast to rebound to the middle to upper 40s in northern New England to near 60 in southern Virginia on Sunday afternoon as the ups and downs of March persist.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
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News / Winter Weather
Northeast caught in winter's grip this week
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Mar 17, 2021 7:56 AM EST
Chilly weather arrived over the weekend across the Northeast and may have served as a reality check for those fooled by the “fake spring” that arrived last week and ushered in temperatures in the 60s, 70s and even near 80 degrees Fahrenheit. AccuWeather forecasters say that the battle between winter and spring will persist this week — and winter may have the upper hand. Cold days are likely to outweigh milder days this week, and snow and ice will be in the offing, adding to the wintry feel.
Farther west, the typical battle between the seasons that takes place in March was put on full display over the weekend — with weather swings that were even more dramatic. A historic storm buried portions of the Rockies and High Plains under record-shattering snowfall totals just days after temperatures had soared some 20 degrees above normal with Denver reporting afternoon temperatures as high as 70 F.
The latest burst of cold air was still gripping the Northeast on Monday morning. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures were in the single digits in New York City and below zero across much of New England to start the day.
Winds howled across the Northeast on Sunday, with gusts approaching 60 mph in parts of New York state. The gusty winds allowed a brush fire to grow in size rapidly, forcing evacuations and closing a porrion of the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey on Sunday.
Highs on Monday ranged from the lower teens in northern Maine to the mid-40s in southern Virginia. The normal high temperature this week is around 50 degrees in New York City and ranges from the middle 30s in northern Maine to the upper 50s in southern Virginia.
Temperatures on Tuesday inched 5-10 degrees higher when compared to Monday but stopped short of average levels. Tuesday's highs reached the middle 20s in northern Maine to near 50 in southern Virginia.
Instead of sunshine for most areas, a storm headed eastward on Tuesday and brought spotty wintry precipitation to part of the region as well. This was the same storm that brought the massive snowfall to Denver and Boulder, Colorado, as well as Cheyenne and Casper, Wyoming.
For those still ailing with sore backs from shoveling snow in the Northeast this winter, the storm is but a shell of what it once was and will brought generally light precipitation or failed to bring any precipitation at all in some cases.
Dry air limited precipitation amounts in New England and northern New York state on Tuesday, AccuWeather Senior Storm-Warning Meteorologist Brian Wimer said.
A few snowflakes even fell in the New York City area Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday evening. Some mixed precipitation that includes wet snow, sleet and rain extended southward through the mountains in central and northeastern Pennsylvania and eastward across parts of northern New Jersey, the Hudson Valley of New York state and the hills in northwestern Connecticut.
Since paved surfaces tend to warm up quickly during the middle of March, even when the sky is overcast, few, if any, problems occurred on the roads.
The mildest stretch of weather for this week is expected to be from Wednesday to Thursday, when temperatures are projected to reach average levels to perhaps as much as 10 degrees above average.
With peak highs forecast to range from near 40 in northern New England to near 60 in southern Virginia, it will be a far cry from the warmth last week.
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AccuWeather meteorologists are tracking another cross-country storm that is expected to reach the Eastern states on Thursday and may linger into Friday or later. That storm affected California on Monday and will swing through the Four Corners states and central Plains with some snow into midweek.
Even though the storm is not likely to be as intense as its predecessor in terms of the amount of snow it may bring to the Rockies, it will maintain more strength farther to the east as it moves along at a fairly swift pace. This same storm is expected to bring multiple days of severe weather, including a significant tornado risk to the Central and Southeastern states, and could bring wintry precipitation to parts of the Northeast as well.
On the tail end of late-week rain in the East, cold air may catch up to moisture fast enough to allow rain to change to snow in some locations.
"There is the potential for some snow across the higher elevations from the southern tier of New York to northern and central Pennsylvania as well as the mountains of West Virginia and western Virginia and the hills and mountains in western Massachusetts and northwestern Connecticut from later Thursday to early Friday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys said.
"The snow is likely to be wet and clinging in nature but can amount to 1-3 inches, especially on grassy and elevated surfaces," Roys added.
In terms of impact, the snowfall, should it materialize, would be more of a nuisance but can lead to a slushy and slippery accumulation on roads.
In a snowier scenario, should the cold air race in quickly, prior to the main body of the storm moving out to sea, then a band of light to moderate accumulating snow may stretch from northern Virginia through southeastern New England on Friday.
Just as the week started with below-average temperatures, it is also forecast to finish in a similar manner, but perhaps a little less extreme.
On Friday, highs are projected to range from the upper 20s in northern Maine to the lower 50s in southern Virginia.
Related:
For those already looking forward to the weekend for travel or outdoor plans, a definitive chill is in store for the nighttime and morning hours. Temperatures will start Saturday in the single digits to lower teens in the northern parts of New York state and New England to the middle to upper 30s along the Interstate 95 corridor from New York City to Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia.
The late-week storm will strengthen while moving out to sea, stirring gusty winds that will add significant chill to the air Friday into Saturday along the New England and mid-Atlantic coasts. Northerly winds may average 15-30 mph with gusts between 35 and 45 mph on Saturday morning. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures may be as much as 20 degrees lower than the actual temperature.
The forward progress of that late-week storm may slow to a crawl in eastern Virginia, Maryland and Delaware to the point where clouds and spotty rain and perhaps wet snowflakes could linger during the first part of the weekend.
On a brighter note, as the weekend progresses, winds will ease in the rest of the region with most areas expected to bask in strong late-March sunshine. So while the outside air may require a heavy jacket and even a hat and gloves for those that mind the chill on Saturday, cruising around in the car may be comfortable without the heat on.
Temperatures are forecast to rebound to the middle to upper 40s in northern New England to near 60 in southern Virginia on Sunday afternoon as the ups and downs of March persist.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
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