The frigid chill of the weekend is no more, with warmer temperatures set to thaw out most of the northeast in the weeks leading up to spring.
The city started Saturday with bone-chilling winds of up to 45 mph and temperatures as low as three degrees in some spots. In just 30 hours time, conditions in New York rebounded, with temperatures climbing well into the 40s Sunday afternoon. By Thursday, forecasters predict it will be unseasonably warm with highs in the 50s, marking a double-digit spike in temperatures since the weekend.
Much of the northeast will similarly experience far friendlier temperatures after a large, low-pressure system ripped across eastern Canada and pushed the freezing air southward. That same system continued to draw milder air as it pushed north, allowing for temperatures to quickly climb.
According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, the above-average warmth should linger over the northeast through the remainder of February.
The weather whiplash will also likely come with some rainfall, forecast to start in New York as early as Tuesday. While it will remain mostly sunny throughout the day, scattered showers will strike in the evening and wrap before midnight, according to the National Weather Center.
Conditions will not be so mild elsewhere. In Texas, meteorologists warned of thunderstorms that could turn dangerous by midday Tuesday.
“Once the stronger thunderstorms do develop, they could linger through the nighttime hours and the threat will expand to east of Houston,” according to Accuweather. “Texas cities like San Antonio, Austin, Houston, and Waco are all at the risk for severe weather through Tuesday night.”
The heavy rainfall could result in “ponding on roads and localized flooding,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty. Winds of up to 60 mph are possible and meteorologists further warned there is potential for a standalone tornado.
Cities including New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., on northward to Little Rock, Ark, and Memphis are also at risk for severe weather.