Monday, April 20, 2020

Multiple seasons collide in Northeast, bringing snow, thunderstorms and wind

Updated Apr. 20, 2020 2:34 PM




A quick-moving storm will bring with it a multitude of weather and fluctuating temperatures this week, leaving residents of the region wondering what season it is.
The storm will track through southern Canada, and send wet weather into the northern tier of the United States.
"The cold front sweeping through the Great Lakes and Northeast Monday night and Tuesday will be a powerful one," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda.
The front will first press into the Great Lakes, erasing the near-normal conditions from early in the week. Temperatures in the region will fall from near normal to 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit below normal.
Following a high in the 60s on Monday, temperatures in Chicago will plummet into the lower 30s Monday night and only recover to the lower 50s on Tuesday.
The coldest air will hold over northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan, allowing for flakes to fly Monday night. Light accumulations of snow are likely, but will be farther north than the last wave of snow that moved through the Midwest.
However, snow is not in the cards for the entire area of the Upper Midwest.
"This is one of those storms where the region will see a little bit of every season: wintry snow, locally severe thunderstorms of spring and summer, and windy conditions of autumn," said Sojda.
The timing of the front arriving during the day in the Northeast will limit the locations that will have snow on Tuesday. Wet snow will tend to be limited to western and northern New York state and the higher elevations of northern New England. Instead, chilly rain, gusty winds and thunderstorms with small hail will be a concern for much of the balance of the Northeast.
"Winds higher up in the atmosphere are quite strong, meaning any shower or possible thunderstorms could introduce a burst of strong winds," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz.
Locally damaging winds are most likely through eastern Pennsylvania and Maryland, New Jersey and southern New England, in the afternoon on Tuesday. This includes major cities along the Interstate-95 corridor, such as Washington, D.C.PhiladelphiaNew York City and Boston.
People venturing outdoors for a jog or walk while social distancing on Tuesday should closely monitor the weather situation as there are likely to be fast-moving storms that can sweep through and cause sudden, torrential downpours and winds strong enough to break tree limbs.
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Strong wind gusts can follow the leading edge of the colder air an thunderstorms as well.
Widespread wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph are expected from Lake Michigan to the mid-Atlantic coast.
Winds of this magnitude may pose a problem for trucks, cause power outages, and even blow through outdoor tents set up for COVID-19 testing.
Cloudy skies, the stiff wind and the drop in temperature are likely to bring AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures in the 30s during the day for many.
Temperatures will fluctuate in the Northeast, bouncing back and forth between slightly below normal and a bit above normal on Wednesday and Thursday.
The stormy pattern is likely to return for Friday and the weekend, allowing for some dips in temperature. Still, many cities like Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Columbus, Ohio, are likely to reach the 60s for at least a day or two at the end of the week.
As is typical in the spring, temperatures are likely to continue to fluctuate both above and below normal as we continue into May.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.

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