Spring is officially here. And it feels like spring somewhere, just not here.
Despite the change of seasons, Mother Nature still has some wintry tricks left in the tank for the Midwest and Northeast. Chilly weather with the chance for some snow will stick around through at least the end of March.
Low pressure will move from the central Great Lakes to southern Quebec Sunday night through Tuesday, with a mix of rain and wet snow at times along with gusty winds. High temps for the period will be in the upper 30's to low 40's.
A Wind Advisory is posted for northern Erie, Niagara, Orleans and Genesee counties Monday, with winds 20 to 30 mph, gusting to 50 mph.
Right now it looks like Wednesday will be the coolest day with afternoon highs below normal. Thursday and Friday temperatures will be right around to a few degrees above normal. By Saturday temperatures will reach around 5 to 10 degrees above norma.
"We're looking at a series of cold fronts and storms sweeping from the Mississippi Valley to the mid-Atlantic through late next week," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said. "This will keep temperatures down and cut short any warmups ahead of the storms. Overall, we're expecting temperatures to be 5-10 degrees below the historical average as a whole for the end of March."
AccuWeather's long-range experts have been warning for weeks that a weakening polar vortex in late March would usher in a stretch of unseasonably cool conditions with more frequent clouds and chances for rain and snow across the Midwest and Northeast.
After a cold front brings blustery showers to the Northeast through Saturday evening, the weekend is expected to end on a mostly dry note, with clouds building ahead of the next storm moving in from the west.
"This next storm will bring late March snow across the Upper Midwest, upper Great Lakes and southern Canada, which is not uncommon," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
More rounds of rain and snow showers are in the forecast next week, including a storm from late Tuesday into Wednesday that could bring accumulating snow to parts of the Appalachians.
"The pattern heading into April favors wetness and cooldowns across the East," Pastelok said. "A couple of air masses can be quite cold for April standards, with perhaps even some snow for the Northeast, Great Lakes and Midwest. The pattern may warm in the Ohio Valley, Great Lakes and possibly Northeast late in the month."
WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM TO 10 PM EDT MONDAY
* WHAT...Southwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected.
* WHERE...Niagara, Orleans, Northern Erie, and Genesee Counties.
* WHEN...From 8 AM to 10 PM EDT Monday.
* IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.
