Go Back
More than 75 million Americans are at risk of severe weather on Friday. Get the latest forecast. Chevron right

Ashburn, VA

45°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Ashburn

Virginia

45°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Ashburn, VA Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Video

Podcasts

Winter Center

News & Features AccuWeather Prime Astronomy Business Climate Health Recreation Sports Travel

News / Winter Weather

Temperature turnaround for northeastern US

A dramatic warm up will quickly replace the Arctic air over the Northeast with temperatures rising as much as 40 degrees in less than two days.

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

Published Feb 3, 2023 3:02 PM EDT | Updated Feb 5, 2023 1:08 PM EDT

Copied
Live Coverage For all things weather, 24 hours a day.

A shift in the polar vortex will deliver some of the coldest air of the season to parts of the northeastern U.S. through Saturday.

In just as dramatic fashion as it arrived, the polar vortex and its record-breaking cold will move away from the Northeast and pave the way for a return of above-average temperatures for early February. And, AccuWeather meteorologists believe the mild weather has a good chance of sticking around through at least the middle of the month.

By Sunday afternoon, temperatures will trend upward by close to 40 degrees in some locations. The greatest positive swings will be across northern New England.

In Boston, where two record lows were set within the span of a few hours on Friday night, temperatures will climb into the upper 40s on Sunday afternoon.

In New York City, where the thermometer bottomed out at 3 on Saturday morning, temperatures will climb to near 50 degrees Fahrenheit at the end of the weekend.

In early February, the average high temperature for Boston is the upper 30s, while the normal high for New York City is near the 40-degree mark.

Following a low of 15 degrees below zero early Saturday, temperatures in Burlington, Vermont, could rebound to near 40 on Sunday afternoon.

The temperature roller-coaster pattern contributed to the first month of 2023 being one of the top-three warmest Januarys on record for over a dozen cities from Maine to Kentucky.

GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

  •   Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+

Temperatures in New York City averaged nearly 10 degrees above normal. A temperature departure for an entire month typically ranges from 2 degrees above to 2 degrees below normal.

"New York City has never had a January where every single calendar day averaged above normal until this year," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek said. "Usually, there is some mix of days with above and below average during the month."

"There is every indication that the month of February as a whole will be above average in the East," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.

AccuWeather's long-range team anticipates that while there can be some ups and downs, especially during the latter part of February, temperatures along much of Interstate 95 from Richmond, Virginia, to New York City and Boston are likely to average 3 degrees above normal or greater.

"From Washington, D.C., south, it could be closer to 4 degrees above average," Pastelok said.

Despite the warm outlook for much of the month, the total dismissal of snow in the heavily-populated I-95 zone cannot be done at this time. In some cases, such as in New York City and Philadelphia, normal snowfall is greater in February compared to January.

Philadelphia averages 7.1 inches of snow in January and 8.4 inches in February. Both locations did not record snowfall of 0.1 of an inch or greater this past January but picked up a few tenths of an inch on Feb. 1. For the Big Apple, it was the latest in the season the city has gone without recording measurable snow.

During much of February, the jet stream will take an approximate west-to-east configuration, which tends to lock up the coldest air across Canada.

During this setup, the I-95 corridor in the mid-Atlantic and southern New England are likely to be on the warm side of most storms that track from the Plains to the Midwest and northern tier of the Northeast. But, there could be an exception or two.

"It is possible there is some buckling of the jet stream for a brief time around Feb. 11-12, and that may lead to a storm and possible snow event along the I-95 corridor," Pastelok said. "However, a number of complex conditions would have to develop to formulate an ideal setup."

AccuWeather's long-range team also has some insider data that suggests a potential shuffle in conditions high in the atmosphere may occur during late February. Such a change could cause the polar vortex and frigid air to once again shift southward and send temperatures tumbling across part of the U.S.

More to read:

Spring to bring more snow chances, AccuWeather experts say
Stunning videos capture the full scope of Southern ice storm
What to know about the suspected Chinese spy balloon

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.

Report a Typo

Weather News

Severe Weather

High winds to affect parts of Ohio Valley, Northeast

Mar. 31, 2023
Hurricane

Hurricane Ian: Difficult lessons learned over past 6 months

Mar. 29, 2023
Severe Weather

The harrowing moment when storm chasing turned to search and rescue

Mar. 29, 2023
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

News & Features

AccuWeather Prime

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Top Stories

Severe Weather

Over 75 million at risk of severe weather outbreak

3 hours ago

Hurricane

AccuWeather's 2023 Atlantic hurricane season forecast

1 day ago

Winter Weather

Snowstorm to slam north-central US into Saturday

3 hours ago

Severe Weather

California storm adds to monumental seasonal snow totals

18 hours ago

Severe Weather

Storm will pack a punch in northeastern US as April begins

12 hours ago

More Stories

Featured Topic

How to help Mississippi tornado survivors

Featured Stories

Health

Train carrying ethanol derails in Minnesota, homes evacuated

17 hours ago

Sports

MLB opening day is here: Experts warn lightning is a danger at games

22 hours ago

Weather News

Skeletal remains found in Lake Mead bay is 1970s drowning victim

1 day ago

AccuWeather Winter Weather Temperature turnaround for northeastern US
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2023 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Do Not Sell My Data checkmark Confirmed Not Selling Your Data

We have updated our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

I Understand

Get AccuWeather alerts as they happen with our browser notifications.

Notifications Enabled

Thanks! We’ll keep you informed.

FEEDBACK