The First of Two Chilled Rains Next Week

After flirting with or hitting 80 degrees yesterday, the wilds of March have to turn the other cheek. Mother Nature can't let us enjoy May-like warmth for too long, can she? Colder air will be on the advance starting today as temperatures drop to more typical levels for March -- daytime highs in the upper 50's. While still nice, it's not quite yesterday nice. The cooler trend will become increasingly established over the next few days as a couple of systems scoot through from west to east, generally across our region, with chances of chilly rain here in the city. Farther north, some snow is certainly possible as these systems work through colder air than what we have here.

Monday brings the first system -- this generally passes through during the morning hours and may start up just before daybreak west and northwest of the city. With some residual cool air lingering around the region and temperatures aloft starting off cool, some snow and/or sleet could fall at the onset north of I-78 before transitioning to rain. South of I-78, some sleet could mix in with a chilly rain on the front end of the system before temperatures warm above freezing aloft and we all see a cool rain.

With temperatures generally in the 30's (blue) and near freezing (pink line) to the north, some frozen precipitation can't be ruled out over the northern parts of the area.  I tend to think the best chances will be Scranton, the Poconos, Northwest Jersey but the timing (morning) and intensity (light) means any accumulating frozen precipitation may be confined only to grassy surfaces and not to roadways up north.

A second system is poised to impact the region on Wednesday night and Thursday.  There is a chance some frozen precipitation could work closer to the city but computer guidance has been trying to keep the frozen precipitation to a minimum in recent runs.   Both of these systems will help to establish a -NAO over the East for the next week or so, with temperatures cooling off quite a bit by the end of next week....where highs could be in the lower and middle 40's as a large trough pivots through the East for the end of March.

Hope you enjoyed the Spring Fling yesterday, folks.  Old Man Winter still has a little more spark in his step yet.