11:30 AM | *Frozen precipitation on Monday as milder air try to advance into the region*
Paul Dorian
Discussion
After several consecutive days of sub-freezing temperatures, milder air will try to advance into the Mid-Atlantic region on Monday, but it will initially run into serious resistance in the lower levels of the atmosphere. The deep Arctic cold that has been entrenched in the region in recent days will be reluctant to give up its ground early tomorrow as warm frontal precipitation arrives. As a result, it will likely first break out in the form of snow and/or sleet, and then change to freezing rain before finally becoming just plain rain late in the day as temperatures slowly inch above freezing. The arrival time for this light precipitation is early-to-mid morning - perhaps in time to effect the late morning commute. There can be small accumulation of snow and sleet (coating to an inch or so) at the onset of this precipitation event tomorrow morning and that could be followed by a small buildup of ice. By tomorrow night, it is not out of the question that as some light rain and drizzle continues, there is freezing on some surfaces as temperatures may drop back a degree or two very close to the freezing mark.
The milder air wins out in earnest on Tuesday as temperatures should climb through the 40’s despite lots of clouds and more light rain, and then Wednesday could see a spurt in temperatures to near 60 degrees. The warm up on Wednesday, however, will come at the expense of some heavy rain and potential strong winds just ahead of a strong cold front that will be barreling towards the east coast. It turns much colder behind that front on Thursday and the first part of February looks quite cold.