Cold Temperatures and Threat of Snow Return to Eastern U.S. This Week

Another wave of cooler air coming down from Canada will send the mercury on a downward path in the days ahead in the Midwest and the Northeast. While the temperatures will be generally seasonable compared to average readings this time of the year, it will feel noticeably chillier after the weekend warmth. Here is a look at what you can expect as the second of two cold fronts this week charges down from the north.

New Batch of Cold Air Headed to the Eastern U.S. From Canada

A southward dip in the jet stream across the northeastern U.S. will bring more waves of uncomfortably chilly air back to the region. Some of this cool air will push into portions of the Upper Midwest at times.

The first batch of cold Canadian air tracked from the Midwest, down to the Gulf Coast, and to the east to the Atlantic coastline at the end of the week. This pattern also ushered in rain showers and locally gusty thunderstorms on Saturday. There were approximately a dozen severe weather reports notched on this day. More severe storms roamed the eastern U.S. on Easter Sunday, putting a damper on the holiday festivities.

Temperatures began to fall dramatically behind the first cold front. For instance, highs in the 70s and 80s to start the weekend plummeted by as much as 30 degrees by Sunday in and around the Great Lakes region. The temperature swing will reach the mid-Atlantic and the New England coastlines on Monday.

You will want to bundle up Monday morning with readings hovering in the 30s and 40s in some areas of the eastern U.S. Although readings will still be within normal limits for early April, the lows will land significantly lower than what residents enjoyed over the Easter weekend.

The second surge of colder air will arrive later in the day in the Midwest and the Northeast. This influx will bring the temperatures down to well below the average for this time of the year, making it feel more like February or early March. Daytime highs will struggle to climb out of the 30s in the Upper Midwest and the Appalachians.

Moving to the east, highs will crest the 50-degree mark during the peak afternoon heating hours. However, the breezy conditions will keep real feel readings in the 30s and 40s.

Chances of Snow?

The threat of snow will also be a concern for some areas of the Upper Midwest and New England. Temperatures will be cold enough at the jet stream level to fuel the development of widespread snow flurries in a zone from Michigan through Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey, upstate New York, and New England. Rain is expected to mix in with the snow along the southern and eastern fringe of the weather maker.