Winter weather has returned to the East, but there is some good news in the long-range forecast that promises milder weather in the second half of March.
Illinois tornado leaves trail of destruction
The National Weather Service estimates that a tornado struck northeastern Illinois, causing damage and warnings and severe weather that affected local communities.
Welcome back, winter!
After a long-range forecast for May, the “false spring” in the eastern United States is over, giving way (for now) to typical chilly March weather.
According to AccuWeather, the highs of the 60s, 70s and 80s are being replaced by highs of the 40s, 50s and 60s.
In addition to the cold, snowstorms are expected in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes over the next few days and into the latter part of the weekend, with the possibility of heavy snow in parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Meanwhile, the southwestern United States is experiencing dramatic warming, with cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas potentially experiencing record heat, with temperatures rising into the 90s.
Overall, the weather pattern over the next week or so will be similar to what we’ve seen for most of the winter, with colder weather in the east and hotter weather in the west.
winter reality check
“A textbook reality check for March’s weather changes this winter will be a continuation of severe weather outbreaks and record-breaking warmth across the Middle East, with further intensification across the Southwest,” Weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman said in an online forecast.
This warmth included temperatures in the 80s all the way to New York City.
But unlike the sustained cold of late January and February, this time there will be a wave of warmer air and a wave of colder air, aided by March sunshine, AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said in an online forecast.
Polar vortex ends ‘false spring’
Not all cold snaps are related to the polar vortex, but this one is, AccuWeather said.
Paul Pastelok, AccuWeather’s chief long-range meteorologist, said a new displacement or weakening of the polar vortex is underway, which could occasionally allow plumes of Arctic air to spill into the Midwest and Northeast.
“There will be active snow and ice storms along the U.S.-Canada border this week,” Pastelok said. “The aftermath of these storms will help draw cold air further south. As the pattern evolves, a storm sometime between March 16 and 19 could bring a mix of snow, ice, and rain to parts of the East, followed by a larger release of cold air from the Plains to the East.”
Erdman said freezing temperatures could reach parts of North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan early next week. Much of the Deep South, including parts of far northern Florida, is expected to experience freezing temperatures.
When will it get warm in the East?
For those tired of winter weather, especially the recent warmth, Erdmann says there’s good news in the forecast.
“Warm air could move east across the Plains region by the middle of next week, and further east by late next week,” Erdman said in an online forecast. “However, some long-range models suggest the possibility of cold air backflowing into parts of the Midwest and Northeast during the week of March 23.”
Blizzard in north central US?
After Alberta Clipper dumped snow on the northern tier over the next few days, a second, more significant winter storm is now likely to form in the northern highlands region and then rapidly intensify as it moves into the upper Midwest and Great Lakes over the weekend, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center said in an online forecast.
“At least 6 inches of snow is possible, with more possible,” WPC said. “Snowfall rates likely to exceed 1 inch per hour, combined with strong winds of 30 to 50 miles per hour, will result in extremely reduced visibility, which could make travel dangerous and in some cases impossible.”
Weather Trader meteorologist Ryan Maue said in an email to USA TODAY that the storm could be classified as a bomb cyclone, and blizzard conditions are likely.
Southwest warmth could break records
While the eastern and central United States shivers, the southwestern United States will experience near-record warmth over the next week or so.
Temperatures in Los Angeles could reach near 90 degrees on Thursday, March 12 and Friday, March 13, potentially challenging record high temperatures, according to AccuWeather. Records could also be broken in Las Vegas and Phoenix over the weekend as the early season desert heatwave accelerates.
Phoenix could reach the 100-degree mark next week as the heat intensifies. If the temperature in the city reaches 100 degrees before March 26, it will be the earliest 100 degree temperature on record.
chaos in the northwest
Sosnowski said the storm’s swell of Pacific moisture will bring multiple bouts of heavy rain and mountain snow to western Washington, northwestern Oregon and southern British Columbia over the weekend.
Strong winds were reported in many areas of the interior northwest on Thursday, March 12th. Tens of thousands of customers were without power in Washington and Idaho, according to USA TODAY’s power outage tracking information.
