Although much of Southern New England sees little or no snow before flipping to rain, Northern New England will see over half a foot in elevated terrain, with a few power outages possible in Eastern Maine by tonight! Still, Matt Noyes says the strong sun angle this time of the year should preclude too much trouble on roads – particularly those with any amount of light treatment. Full details in our early morning video!
A sprawling, moisture-laden low-pressure system continues to impact the eastern third of the nation, bringing with it a wide array of springtime weather hazards—ranging from snow and freezing rain across parts of the Great Lakes and interior Northeast to severe thunderstorms and flash flooding across the Mid-South.
On Monday, this complex system stretches from a weakening surface low over the Great Lakes to a new secondary low forming along the Mid-Atlantic coastline. This evolution allows widespread precipitation to spread across the Eastern Seaboard, with a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain in the interior and rain elsewhere. The heaviest wintry impacts are expected across the Upper Midwest and parts of interior northern New England, including higher elevations of Maine, the Adirondacks, and the Green Mountains, where several inches of snow are possible.
Meanwhile, the tail end of the frontal system has sparked robust thunderstorm development from the ArkLaTex into the Tennessee Valley. These storms will continue to race eastward through the Southeast today. Severe threats are generally waning compared to Sunday, but gusty winds, small hail, and locally heavy downpours remain possible in parts of Georgia, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle.
Out west, another round of Pacific moisture is spreading inland through Washington and Oregon, with upslope-enhanced rainfall in the Olympics and Cascades. This atmospheric river is gradually weakening, but additional rainfall today will prolong flood concerns on saturated soils.
Otherwise, a major upper-level ridge continues to dominate the western and central U.S., allowing much warmer-than-average temperatures to build and spread eastward. Highs in the 80s and even low 90s are forecast across the Desert Southwest and Southern Plains, with numerous daily temperature records likely in parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Even the central Rockies and Northern Plains will see springlike warmth with temperatures running 15–30°F above normal.
This ridge will slowly shift eastward through midweek, leading to a broader warming trend across much of the central and eastern U.S., while the next Pacific system organizes offshore. That next system is set to bring a renewed period of rain and mountain snow to the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies by midweek.
It’s a gray, damp start to the week across New England and eastern New York as a complex storm system pushes through the region today. The morning hours are marked by widespread light to moderate precipitation, which began overnight as a wintry mix across the interior but is steadily transitioning to plain rain from south to north.
As of Monday morning, colder air is still entrenched across the higher terrain of Vermont, northern New Hampshire, and western and central Maine, where snow and sleet remain the dominant precipitation types. Across southern Vermont, western Massachusetts, and interior Connecticut, the battle between warming surface temperatures and lingering subfreezing air aloft has resulted in pockets of freezing rain and sleet. Winter Weather Advisories are in effect for areas where light ice accretions or slushy snow totals of 1–4 inches could create slick roads and hazardous travel during the morning commute.
By midday, a secondary low pressure system tracking along the southern New England coast will take over, ushering in a surge of warmer air across much of the region. This will cause precipitation to change to plain rain in most locations by early afternoon, except across far northern and high-terrain areas where a mix or snow may linger a bit longer.
Rainfall totals through Monday evening should range from 0.3 to 0.6 inches across southern New England to locally over 0.75 inches in eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Minor urban or poor drainage flooding is possible, especially during heavier bursts of rain and where snowmelt contributes additional runoff.
Winds today will be brisk, especially across southeastern New England, Long Island, and coastal waters, where a low-level jet of 50–60 knots could lead to surface gusts of 25–35 mph, mainly in exposed areas.
Temperatures will be raw and chilly for much of the day, especially across interior areas where the wintry mix persists longest. Highs will range from the upper 30s in the Berkshires and northern valleys to the mid 40s across the coastal plain. Areas in southern Connecticut and Rhode Island may briefly approach 50°F this afternoon as southeast winds pump in slightly warmer air.
Conditions improve steadily late today and into the evening as the low pulls away and high pressure nudges in from the west. Some patchy fog may develop overnight, especially in the Connecticut River Valley and other sheltered interior locations.
Looking ahead, Tuesday brings drier and slightly milder weather under weak high pressure, though clouds may persist. Another chance for precipitation arrives by midweek, primarily in the form of scattered rain and snow showers associated with a fast-moving coastal disturbance.
