It's coming!
A gradual warming trend will begin with day to day moderating high temperatures above the freezing mark beginning this weekend.
"We are going to be seeing a warming trend, at least over the next couple of days that will hold through at least midweek, " National Weather Service meteorologist Phillip Pandolfo tells WBEN. "We're going to be seeing high temperatures(40's) by Sunday, and especially by Monday, Tuesday, and potentially Wednesday as well."
While the warming temps will ease the snowpack on roofs, sidewalks, perking lots and along roadways, it will also potentially become cause for concern, forecasters warn.
While not impressively warm, highs generally around 40 early next week will support some melting of the snowpack, leading to increasing water levels on area streams and creeks.
Forecasters will keey an eye out for the potential for ice jam flooding, especially with the vast amount of ice present with this long stretch of frigid temperatures over the past few weeks.
An active weather pattern will return by midweek, bringing chances of periods of all rain, mixed precipitation and then all snow by next weekend.
“The most intense cold of the winter is largely behind the Eastern and Central states, but that doesn’t mean winter is over," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.
Historically COLD
The period from Jan. 24 through Feb. 9 brought some of the coldest conditions in years to many areas in the central and eastern U.S. Temperatures during these 17 days were more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit below the historical average.
During the period, temperature departures of 15 degrees below average were observed in Buffalo. Highs in the single digits, teens and 20s were common, as were nights below zero and in the single digits.
WGRZ meteorologist Patrick Hammer tells WGR SportsRadio 550, this winter has been coldest since 2013. "If winter were to end today, this would go down as the 4th coldest winter in history for Buffalo," he adds.
After the active weather coming midweek, can spring be far behind?
Hammer says signs point toward a delayed spring and a colder than average March. But not 'arctic' cold.
"It may be a while before we’re golfing."