Winter Takes a Nap this Week, but then Wakes Up

A week ago, it was said winter was over (for the eastern 1/3 of the US), so I am not sure what to call Saturday’s snow if it wasn’t winter weather?   Oh, well.  The simple conclusion is that winter is not over. Yes, the last week was warm over-all, but if you exclude the 36 hours of Thu – Fri, it was a seasonally mild week; not unusual. 

Now this week will NOT feel like winter. Seasonally mild today, warm to very warm Tue, and very warm Wed, seasonal Thu, seasonally mild Fri, then mild Sat, and Sun. Once we get into next week winter starts fighting back in a big way. The opening two weeks of March should be stormy and possibly snowy.  No winter is not over.
The forecast for this week is straight forward for the most part. But there are a couple of tricky spots:
 

1. Tuesday:  If should clear off at least partially. The warm air should win out over the chilly rain cooled air from today/this evening. However, it may take some time. So Tue could be cooler than forecast, with the ridges being warmer earlier than the deeper valleys.
2. Wednesday: Record high temperatures?  Readings out to at least reach 70, but records are in the lower 70s, so it is quite possible. It all depends on the cloudiness.
3. Thursday: If enough cool air pushes south we could see some icy or even snowy conditions in the morning. I doubt it here, but north of the 1-80 corridor could see some wintery weather. A chilly rain is likely here.
4. Friday: Another system tries to bring the warm air back north, but the cool air may be stubborn again. 

 
The warmth reaches a peak on Wednesday, after that it is a fight where the cold air will eventually win out by the end of the month.  It will be a wet period as well. At least 1” of rain is likely over the next week. Some areas west of here in the Mississippi and Ohio valleys will receive too much rain and flooding will become an issue in some of those areas.

But for us, enjoy the warmth of Tue and Wed if you can. Go for a walk, a bike ride, and open a window to air out the house. It won’t get near 70 again until after the middle of March, from what I see now. It could change though. And if it does?  I’ll forecast it.

Enjoy!