A Wintry Kind Of Thaw Across The Nation's North

That long awaited, brief thaw in the Great Lakes area into the Northeast is on, but wintry complications aren't making it seem too terribly springlike.

A thaw in the Northeast and Midwest is complicated
by warnings of more storms and cold ahead.  

Take the area around Minnesota and Wisconsin. Yeah, it'll get into the upper 30s and low 40s today, but already, blizzard and winter storm warnings are up for tomorrow and Friday.

Hard to enjoy the warmth when you're getting ready for a winter storm.

A freezing rain advisory is up for most of Pennsylvania this morning. Warm air is trying to get in, but the chill is hanging on this morning, so the rain will freeze until later today.

The real zone of spring weather will be in the Ohio Valley and mid-South, where temperatures will get into the 60s today and Thursday, and severe thunderstorms will sweep the region Thursday.

Here in interior New England, another little dusting of snow will blow through today. Most places will only get a dusting to three inches, but it's just another thin layer to add to the deep snow cover.  It might be warm enough for a few raindrops to mix in around the Champlain Valley and the lowlands of southern Vermont today.

It will be warm and quiet in Vermont and surrounding areas Thursday, with temperatures flirting with 40.

But late Thursday night and Friday, as a surge of precipitation accompanying a strong storm system moves in, sleet, freezing rain and a bit of snow will ice up the roads for the early Friday morning commute.

That icy mix will change to rain during Friday morning, but still, yuck.

By Saturday, the return of winter will have engulfed the northern United States again, except for the Northeast.

The warm air won't be routed from Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine until Sunday, so Saturday will be the last day to enjoy the thaw for awhile. (That is, if you enjoy thaws. Some people still like winter. Like skiers, riders, and snowmobiliers)

And they shouldn't worry too much. Winter weather will be back for more than a week after this semi-thaw passes.