Winter Weather Back in the Picture for the Northern U.S.

Winter is not quite over for the Northeast. Despite a warming trend over the weekend, another snowy weather pattern is coming together for the Great Lakes and into the Northeast through the early part of this week. Here is a look at what residents need to prepare for the coming days in this corner of the country.

Chillier Temperatures and Chances of Snow Mark Start of New Week in Northern U.S.

While this week's weather will not feature the frigid cold that last week brought to the eastern U.S, the reappearance of snow will serve as a reminder that spring is still a ways away. Meteorologists are warning that more cold air is pushing into the Great Lakes and the Northeast as the last week of January begins.

The chilly weather will also come with several waves of snow. Two Alberta clipper storms will kick things off this week, ushering in lake-effect snow that could produce dangerous squalls at times. A potent cold front will also bring down the mercury on Monday, as well as usher in stronger winds that will make it feel even chillier.

It was a cold start to the work week on Monday across the northern Plains and into the Great Lakes and New England. When combined with the wind, real feel readings slipped into the single digits for many communities across the northern third of the nation. It was not much warmer in the Plains states, with some areas seeing real feel temperatures slip into the teens in the early morning hours.

The winds are expected to increase throughout the day on Monday, reaching speeds of up to 40 mph in a zone from eastern Minnesota and across to New England. These west to southwest winds will arrive prior to the advancing cold front. The winds may result in ice piling up on the eastern shores of the Great Lakes region. Shifting ice poses dangers to anglers and other outdoor recreation pursuits.

Buffalo is one of the major metro areas dealing with high winds to start the new work week. The city is experiencing winds out of the southwest at 25 to 40 mph with gusts hitting 50 mph. These winds will hang on through the overnight hours Monday as the lake-effect snow machine begins to fire up.

The city along the shores of Lake Erie is expecting snowfall accumulations of 1 to 3 inches, with the possibility of dangerous squalls in the forecast. After seeing a high of about 32 degrees on Monday, Tuesday's top readings will max out in the mid 20s in Buffalo with the potential of more snow in the afternoon and evening hours. The threat of snow showers and flurries will persist in Buffalo through Wednesday with just light accumulations expected.

Snow Squalls Present New Set of Dangers

The winds will begin to die down on Tuesday, however, gusts of up to 30 mph are still a possibility in the Great Lakes and the Northeast. These winds will raise the threat of blowing snow and dangerous squalls late Monday and into Tuesday.

Snow squalls are particularly dangerous as they bring the threat of whiteout conditions. Squalls are also known to come on out of nowhere, catching motorists off guard with nowhere to go. The chance of squalls will increase as the cold front dips down from Canada and pushes across the Great Lakes into the early hours of Tuesday.

The greatest amount of snow is expected along the eastern shores of the lakes in this part of the country. Meaningful snow is also a good possibility for areas farther inland from Michigan and over into Pennsylvania and New York.

The line of snow may stretch as far south as parts of interstates 80, 81, and 76 in Pennsylvania. To the east, the snow may reach as far as Boston on Tuesday morning. This metro area is in store for unsettled weather in the coming hours. While clouds will decrease throughout the day on Tuesday in Boston, more snow is expected to develop overnight resulting in about an inch of accumulation.

Like the rest of the region, it will also be a windy stretch for Boston. Winds clocking in at 20 to 30 mph will be the norm on Monday and Tuesday with gusts eclipsing the 40 mph mark.

Exceptionally Cold January for the Northeast and Beyond

It has been a cold start to the year for the Northeast. Temperatures have landed several degrees below the norm for January up and down the Interstate 95 corridor. For instance, Washington, D.C. has seen temperatures drop to almost 6 degrees below the historical average thus far in January.

Likewise, New York City has seen the mercury hover at about 4 degrees under the normal levels for this time of the year. It has also been unseasonably cold in Philadelphia with temperatures dropping to about 5 degrees below the historical average in January.