Taste of spring to temporarily erase winter's chill
By
Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Feb 23, 2021 3:08 PM EDT
After plunging temperatures bombarded much of the central and eastern United States last week, relief is on the way in the form of some early spring warmth.
In addition to widespread snow and ice across the center of the county, Record-low temperatures fell last week as cold air invaded the center of the country. Millions were not only left without power, but also with water shortages.
However, a pattern change has already begun to bring an end to the enduring winters' chill.
"The jet stream will bulge northward, allowing for warmer, Pacific air to race into the middle of the country through Tuesday," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz.
A rebound in temperatures began over the weekend, but temperatures will moderate even further through Tuesday. In fact, temperatures are forecast to surge to levels 30, 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit higher than during the depths of frigid air from Feb. 13 through Feb. 16.
"Temperatures could rise as much as 90 degrees in a week's time in a few isolated areas," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
"For example from the morning of Feb. 16 to the afternoon of Feb. 22, the temperature for Hastings, Nebraska, trended upward from 30 below zero to 44 above zero or a rise of 75 degrees and is forecast to climb to 57 on Tuesday, which will be an 88-degree-turnaround from Feb 16,” Sosnowski said
A similar turnaround is projected in Oklahoma City from 14 below zero on Feb. 16 to 73 degrees on Tuesday afternoon. In Topeka, Kansas, temperatures may complete a 91-degree rebound by late Tuesday.
By Wednesday, Feb. 24, highs are expected to range from near 40 in Chicago to the lower 70s in Houston, which will follow low temperatures from the middle of this past week ranging from 5 below zero in Chicago, to 13 above zero in Houston.
In some areas, the temperature swing may be enough to bring afternoon highs far enough above normal that it will be feeling more like spring than late-February.
On Monday, Feb. 22, Rapid City, South Dakota, soared to 57 degrees in the afternoon and the forecast high in St. Louis on Tuesday, Feb. 23, is 64 degrees. Both are abnormally warm for late February, and more normal for the third week in March or even early April.
The accelerating thaw will help with natural melting of ice and snow on roads, but areas made wet by higher daytime temperatures can become icy at night.
Even the thaw can cause some pipes that split but remained frozen to this point to release water without notice. Property owners may want to thoroughly inspect all the pipes before turning the water back on.
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Benz added that the pattern change expected this week will force out the Arctic air, keeping it in Canada.
With the colder air locked up to the north, the warmth will be able to trickle as far as the Eastern Seaboard by the middle of the week.
In much of the Eastern states, the temperature turnaround this week will not be nearly as dramatic as that of the Central states, but it will still be a noticeable change.
When compared to the cold from last week, temperatures could be 10 to as much as 30 degrees higher.
High temperatures are likely to rebound from the teens and 20s in the central Appalachians to end the weekend, to the 30s and lower 40s by midweek. Meanwhile, highs along the I-95 corridor of the Northeast will trend upward into the 40s in Boston and New York City, to the 50s and even near 60 in Washington, D.C., by the middle of the week.
In comparison, Boston's normal high is in the low 40s during late February. New York City typically climbs into the mid-40s during the last week of February, and D.C. reaches right around 50 on average during this timeframe.
Right around the end of the month, the weather pattern may regress somewhat, at least bringing back early March's usual winter chill.
AccuWeather meteorologists believe that while some cold air may reach the South Central states and produce slightly below-average temperatures by early March. It should not be nearly as extreme as what has occurred last week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Winter Weather
Taste of spring to temporarily erase winter's chill
By Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Feb 23, 2021 3:08 PM EDT
After plunging temperatures bombarded much of the central and eastern United States last week, relief is on the way in the form of some early spring warmth.
In addition to widespread snow and ice across the center of the county, Record-low temperatures fell last week as cold air invaded the center of the country. Millions were not only left without power, but also with water shortages.
However, a pattern change has already begun to bring an end to the enduring winters' chill.
"The jet stream will bulge northward, allowing for warmer, Pacific air to race into the middle of the country through Tuesday," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz.
A rebound in temperatures began over the weekend, but temperatures will moderate even further through Tuesday. In fact, temperatures are forecast to surge to levels 30, 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit higher than during the depths of frigid air from Feb. 13 through Feb. 16.
"Temperatures could rise as much as 90 degrees in a week's time in a few isolated areas," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
"For example from the morning of Feb. 16 to the afternoon of Feb. 22, the temperature for Hastings, Nebraska, trended upward from 30 below zero to 44 above zero or a rise of 75 degrees and is forecast to climb to 57 on Tuesday, which will be an 88-degree-turnaround from Feb 16,” Sosnowski said
A similar turnaround is projected in Oklahoma City from 14 below zero on Feb. 16 to 73 degrees on Tuesday afternoon. In Topeka, Kansas, temperatures may complete a 91-degree rebound by late Tuesday.
By Wednesday, Feb. 24, highs are expected to range from near 40 in Chicago to the lower 70s in Houston, which will follow low temperatures from the middle of this past week ranging from 5 below zero in Chicago, to 13 above zero in Houston.
In some areas, the temperature swing may be enough to bring afternoon highs far enough above normal that it will be feeling more like spring than late-February.
On Monday, Feb. 22, Rapid City, South Dakota, soared to 57 degrees in the afternoon and the forecast high in St. Louis on Tuesday, Feb. 23, is 64 degrees. Both are abnormally warm for late February, and more normal for the third week in March or even early April.
The accelerating thaw will help with natural melting of ice and snow on roads, but areas made wet by higher daytime temperatures can become icy at night.
Even the thaw can cause some pipes that split but remained frozen to this point to release water without notice. Property owners may want to thoroughly inspect all the pipes before turning the water back on.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Benz added that the pattern change expected this week will force out the Arctic air, keeping it in Canada.
With the colder air locked up to the north, the warmth will be able to trickle as far as the Eastern Seaboard by the middle of the week.
In much of the Eastern states, the temperature turnaround this week will not be nearly as dramatic as that of the Central states, but it will still be a noticeable change.
When compared to the cold from last week, temperatures could be 10 to as much as 30 degrees higher.
High temperatures are likely to rebound from the teens and 20s in the central Appalachians to end the weekend, to the 30s and lower 40s by midweek. Meanwhile, highs along the I-95 corridor of the Northeast will trend upward into the 40s in Boston and New York City, to the 50s and even near 60 in Washington, D.C., by the middle of the week.
In comparison, Boston's normal high is in the low 40s during late February. New York City typically climbs into the mid-40s during the last week of February, and D.C. reaches right around 50 on average during this timeframe.
Related:
Right around the end of the month, the weather pattern may regress somewhat, at least bringing back early March's usual winter chill.
AccuWeather meteorologists believe that while some cold air may reach the South Central states and produce slightly below-average temperatures by early March. It should not be nearly as extreme as what has occurred last week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo