Stormy Pattern Will Accompany Warmup in Central and Eastern U.S.

Getting tired of the early season winter cold? You are in luck. A warmup is on tap for the Midwest and the Northeast, however, it will come with a soggier weather pattern. Read on for all of the details.

Warmer Air is on the Horizon for the Midwest and the Northeast

It has been an exceptionally frigid start to the month of December for most of the eastern half of the country. This pattern is going to shift this weekend as a warmup is in store for the region.

You will find that the mercury will slowly climb over the weekend across the Midwest and then into the Northeast. The warmer temperatures will come with a surge of precipitation, mostly falling as rain.

The cold air will exit the U.S. and track into Atlantic Canada, allowing warmer temperatures to move up from the south beginning this weekend. The result will be readings that hover at around the historical average for the first weekend of December. For instance, after seeing readings that top out in the 20s on Thursday and Friday, Chicago will once again be back in the 40s for the weekend. This is just slightly warmer than the historical norm for the Windy City this time of the year.

The warmup will be stark in St. Louis. After seeing temperatures max out in the upper 20s on Thursday, the Arch City will see readings hover in the upper 30s on Friday. The weekend will usher in highs that bounce around in the mid to upper 50s. Sunday is predicted to be the warmest day with a forecast high of 59 degrees and lows bottoming out at the 50-degree mark after the sun goes down.

It will take a bit longer for the warmer temperatures to reach the East Coast. New York will see the coldest readings of the season on Friday and Saturday. The Big Apple is forecast to struggle to climb out of the mid 30s during this time period. The mercury will begin to inch upward on Sunday, translating to readings in the 40s. This is near the historical average for the metro area during the first week or two of December.

Heading to the South, the mercury will rebound back into the 50s in places such as Nashville over the weekend. Atlanta is forecast to sniff the 60-degree mark by Sunday.

The Great Lakes will be dealing with more lake-effect snow to close out the work week before the warming trend begins. This part of the country has seen snowfall measured in feet over the last week. Some parts of western and northern New York, the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania, northeastern Ohio, and parts of Michigan recorded snowfall accumulations of 3 to 6 feet. The high winds as of late have sent the drifts even higher.

The influx of milder air will chip away at the snow banks, creating the risk of rapidly melting snow and urban flooding. This will be a situation to keep an eye on in the coming days as the temperatures climb.