More Snow Back in the Forecast for Parts of Northern U.S.

Despite Thursday marking the first day of the astronomical spring, it is still feeling like winter for much of the Midwest and the Northeast. Forecasters are warning that more rounds of cold air, snow, and hard freezes are still on the horizon for a large part of the country. Here is what you can expect as spring tries to push back Old Man Winter.

Movement in the Polar Vortex Opens Door for More Cold Weather

A shift in the polar vortex to the north will keep winter lingering for a bit longer for the central and eastern U.S. Meteorologists have been predicting for weeks that the anticipated weakening of the vortex will send frigid air spilling into North America into the first days of the spring season.

This movement in the vortex will also work to push storms far enough to the south to increase the chance of precipitation. The silver lining is that the breakdown of the polar vortex this late in the winter season does not generally translate to the bitterly cold temperatures that the same setup brings during the middle of the winter.

The end result will likely be temperatures that land just below the historical average for the Midwest and the Northeast for the balance of March. The mercury could dip low enough to bring back the chances of widespread hard freezes in this region. It will be difficult for avid gardeners to ignore the recent batch of moderate temperatures, however, this is the time of the year when Mother Nature can play tricks on you.

The influx of cold air from the north will also create the chance of frost conditions in the south-central U.S. and over to the Southeast. The spring planting season has been happening for a few weeks in this part of the country, meaning that some vulnerable plants may be in danger. Gardeners will want to take steps to protect these plants from the elements.

Some of the youngest leaves and blossoms across parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle will need to be protected at times. You can expect the mercury to fall into the 30s in the suburban areas of this region early Friday. It is important to remember that temperature readings on the ground on clear nights without any wind can land as low as 5 to 10 degrees below what the air temperature reads.

Looking ahead to the weekend, temperatures in the Southeast will inch up again. For instance, after dropping to near the freezing mark overnight Thursday and into the early hours of Friday, the weekend is calling for highs in the 70s for Atlanta.

However, another intrusion of cooler weather is on tap in the week ahead. This means that you will want to continue to monitor the overnight lows if you have sensitive plants that need protection. Going back to Atlanta, the city will max out with a high of about 68 degrees on Monday. This will translate to a change of about 10 degrees from the prior day.