(Sort of) A Break In Winter, But Watch Out!

Today begins sort of a break in the long, long winter in the Northeast and Midwest, but don't get used to it.

We're going to have a slight break to winter
weather over the next few days, but there's a chance
we could go back to scenes like this by next Thursday.  

Here in northern New England, afternoon temperatures might actually flirt with the 32 mark, or even go  a tad above it on most days today through Tuesday. (Sunday looks cooler)

Under normal circumstances in early March, this isn't a big deal, but considering how cold it's been, I take this as a welcome improvement.

Burlington, Vermont has endured 11 consecutive days below freezing through yesterday, and nine days in which the low temperature was under 10 degrees.

That's impressively cold for late February and early March.

It'll probably sneak above freezing in Burlington today and tomorrow, but just barely.

The high sun angle of March has started to melt the snow in sunny corners, giving us a hint of spring in the low elevations. That trend will continue the next few days, though light snows every other day or night will slow that process.

And here's what I mean you shouldn't get used to the slightly milder air with that slight hint of spring. I think winter will come roaring back by the middle of next week, with a return to daytime highs below freezing.

Worse, there's the possibility, JUST the possibility of a substantial snowstorm for the interior Northeast on Thursday. Some computer models bring a pretty good sized nor'easter to the coast, while others take a storm well out to sea.

Don't hang your hat on this forecast yet, but there could be some big snows in parts of the interior mid-Atlantic and Northeast. My first guess, and don't take this as gospel, is the best chance of heavy snow goes from interior Virginia, Pennsylvania and through around Albany, N.Y., into southern Vermont, western Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire and a good chunk of Maine.

Again, that's just an initial guess. Don't latch onto any forecast about this storm until Monday at the earliest. I'm sure my forecast will change as we get closer to the event. If there is an event.

But the sad news is, although it's gotten a little better out there, true spring is going to have to wait some more. Sigh.