National Weather Summary
A potent upper-level disturbance and strong cold front are sweeping through the eastern United States, bringing widespread wintry weather and a shot of unseasonably cold air. Light to moderate snow continues for interior portions of the Northeast, including upstate New York and northern New England, as the system wraps up and moves eastward. Areas of lake enhancement are producing locally heavier snow bands downwind of Lake Ontario, with parts of the Tug Hill Plateau and central Maine expected to see 4 to 8 inches of snow, and localized amounts over 6 inches in favored terrain.
Behind this system, a strong, anomalously cold air mass is plunging into the Eastern U.S., with high temperatures on Tuesday topping out 10 to 30 degrees below normal across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and much of the Northeast. The sharp cold snap has resulted in freeze concerns extending into areas where the growing season has already begun. While temperatures moderate slightly today, much of the region remains below normal with highs in the 30s and 40s in the Northeast and 60s to 70s across the Southeast.
In the West, a parade of Pacific systems continues to bring unsettled weather to the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies. High-elevation snows in the Cascades and northern Rockies are expected to add up to several inches, with the highest peaks seeing over a foot through Wednesday. While rain and snow taper across the West by Thursday, much colder air filters into the region, keeping highs in the 40s and 50s west of the Rockies. Meanwhile, the Southwest continues a stretch of dry, sunny, and unseasonably warm weather under a strengthening ridge, with temperatures reaching into the 80s and 90s, and some desert locations nearing 100°F.
Looking ahead, attention turns to the central U.S. this weekend, where the next major storm system is poised to develop. A strong Pacific trough will advance into the northern Rockies and high Plains, with rain and snow spreading east across the northern tier. A strengthening surface low and trailing cold front could bring a new round of active weather from the northern Plains to the Midwest by early next week.
Northeast Weather Story
The powerful early April cold front that brought rain, snow, and strong winds to the Northeast on Tuesday is moving offshore, but its effects are far from over. In its wake, a much colder-than-average air mass is sweeping across the region, accompanied by gusty west to northwest winds and lingering snow showers, especially in the higher terrain of upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Interior sections from the Tug Hill Plateau to northern Vermont and northern Maine continue to see bursts of snow this evening, particularly in upslope and lake-enhanced areas. Northern Maine, in particular, will experience snow through late Tuesday night, with accumulations of 4 to 8 inches and hazardous travel conditions possible.
Wind Advisories remain in effect for portions of Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, and interior Maine as strong northwest winds gust to 35–50 mph. While winds slowly diminish tonight, they will remain breezy and add to the chill, with wind chills in the teens and single digits expected this morning. For areas where the growing season has begun—such as southern New England and the lower Hudson Valley—freeze warnings are in effect. Lows in the mid-20s to around 30 are expected Wednesday morning, with a hard freeze potentially damaging to budding plants.
Despite the frigid start, skies will trend mostly sunny by midday under high pressure. Temperatures, however, will struggle, remaining 10 to 15 degrees below average for early April. Expect highs only in the 30s to low 40s across the interior, with mid to upper 40s along the coastal plain and in the Connecticut River Valley.
Clear skies and diminishing winds Wednesday night will allow for another chilly night, with lows in the teens and 20s. Thursday begins a transition toward milder temperatures, but not before the Northeast gets one more brisk, wintry day under the influence of high pressure.
