3:00 PM (Thursday) | *Big warm up next week for the eastern half of the nation…first begins in the central US and then expands into the eastern states by Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday*
Paul Dorian
A big warm up next week across much of the eastern half of the nation. Map courtesy NOAA, tropicaltidbits.com
Overview
A strong and cold Canadian high pressure system will dominate the weather scene over the next few days in much of the northeastern quadrant of the nation including the Mid-Atlantic region. The days will feature colder-than-normal temperatures for early March and persistent NW winds will make it feel even colder than the actual ambient air temperature. Once this high pressure system shifts off the east coast early next week, a strong southwesterly flow of air will set up on its backside and begin a significant warm up in the central US on Sunday/Monday which will then expand into the eastern states on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday.
Strong high pressure will shift from southern Canada over the next few days to a position over the western Atlantic Ocean by early next week. A broad southwesterly flow of air will form on the backside of the high pressure system and this will result in a significant warm up for the eastern half of the nation - first in the central US and then in the eastern states. Map courtesy NOAA, tropicaltidbits.com
Details
Strong high pressure is situated today across southern Canada and it is anchoring a cold air mass for early March in the Great Lakes, Northeast US and Mid-Atlantic region. This high pressure system will only gradually move to the southeast in coming days assuring cold and windy weather well into the weekend in much of the northeastern quadrant of the nation. By the early part of next week, this system will reach the east coast and temperatures will begin to jump across the middle of the nation as a long fetch of southwesterly flow develops on the western periphery of the anticyclone.
NOAA’s 6-10 day outlook features high probability of warmer-than-normal conditions in the eastern half of the nation from March 9th to March 13th.
As the high pressure system shifts to a position over the western Atlantic Ocean, this broad southwesterly flow of air on its backside will extend into the eastern states and temperatures will be off to the races in the Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday time frame. In fact, by the middle of next week high temperatures in much of the I-95 corridor are likely to be in the 60’s and 70 degrees is on the table in places like the DC metro region. The significant warm up will continue into the latter stages of next week, but a cold front may end the spring tease by the end of the next week as it can usher in a colder air mass. In fact, there are numerous signs that by the time we get to the middle of the month, a colder pattern is likely to return to the Mid-Atlantic/NE US and there may even a close call or two with regards to snow during the second half of March.
Meteorologist Paul Dorian
Perspecta, Inc.
perspectaweather.com
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