Colder air, gusty winds to feel like a 'slap in the face' in the Northeast this weekend

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

The northeastern United States will get a reminder that winter is still in session with colder and blustery conditions in store this weekend and below-average temperatures forecast for several days next week.

While far from the coldest conditions experienced over the winter, the colder air coming in will sting a bit with gusty winds forecast on Saturday and into Saturday night.

The air will get cold enough to produce lake-effect snow and snow showers from parts of the central Appalachians to northern New England.

"People with outdoor events that last for a few hours, such as St. Patrick's Day parades, will need to dress warmly," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Faith Eherts.

When compared to high temperatures in the 50s, 60s and 70s F from Friday, AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures will be 20 to 40 degrees lower during the day Saturday.

"The dramatic change will feel like a slap in the face this weekend," according to AccuWeather Vice President of Content and Meteorologist Trish Mikita.

The March sun will provide some warmth during the midday and afternoon hours, but it will get chilly quickly during the evening. The morning hours will be quite cold.

Motorists and pedestrians are reminded that runoff from recent rain and melting snow will freeze at night. Property owners and road crews should keep an eye out for icy spots and make them safe for vehicle and foot traffic.

Less wind is in store for the region from Sunday to Tuesday, so it may feel a little better, when compared to Saturday. However, temperatures will lag behind average levels for this time of the year.

Early-morning temperatures most days early next week will range from the single digits over northern New England to the lower to middle 30s in eastern Virginia.

A weak storm is forecast to travel from the Midwest through parts of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, southern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey from Sunday night to Monday.

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"The weak storm may muster enough moisture to bring a light covering of snow to the central Appalachians," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson.

"Mostly rain showers are likely to occur close to the mid-Atlantic coast," Anderson said.

Parts of the Ohio Valley and the Interstate-95 corridor are likely to get a mixture of rain and snow.

The risk for a major storm with heavy rain, snow and a wintry mix through next week seems very unlikely at this time, even though there have been some giant snowstorms in the past during March, such as the Storm of the Century from 1993.

At midweek, a southerly breeze should allow temperatures to recover to mild levels just in time for the first official day of spring. Spring arrives on Wednesday, March 20, at 5:58 p.m. EDT.

However, it appears that another wave of cold air is likely to drop southeastward from Canada and across the northeastern U.S. for the latter part of the week.

There are different scenarios as to how much bite that chilly air will have late in the week. At the very, least winds will kick up and add a cold feel once again on Thursday to Friday.

Temperatures are likely to trend to average or below average for Thursday and Friday of next week as time draws nearer.

Download the free AccuWeather app to see the temperature forecast for your area.