The most active part of the week ahead will be late this afternoon into tonight as a powerful cold front brings a chance for damaging winds with thunderstorms, a temperature crash, and several inches of snow. Tuesday will feel upwards of 55 degrees colder once the wind chill is factored in. The rest of the week is looking quieter with lighter winds, only minor spits of precipitation, and temperatures rebounding to typical mid-March levels.
Monday
What: Windy and warm, followed by strong thunderstorm winds, a temperature crash, and a period of heavy snowfall tonight.
Impacts: Non-thunderstorm wind gusts to 45 mph. Stronger, potentially damaging winds possible with any thunderstorms in the late afternoon. Several inches of snow and possible ice tonight.
The type of wild March weather we tend to see once a year or so will impact the area today, going from temperatures well into the 60s to heavy snowfall within a few hours. Forcing the transition will be a strong cold front which may touch off a few severe thunderstorms.
The timing for the thunderstorm potential will be between 4-6 PM. Snow will take over from west to east during the first half of the evening.
There are a lot of details to unpack, so check out the full breakdown of all the details in the Monday Weather Planner post.
Tuesday
What: Windy, much colder. A few flurries.
Impacts: Wind gusts from the west as high as 40 mph through midday. Wind chill values near 10 degrees.
Strong winds will persist through Tuesday morning before gradually slowing down during the afternoon. Morning temperatures will start around 20 degrees and afternoon highs will make it into the low and mid 20s. With the wind, it will feel closer to 10 degrees.
Some limited lake effect snow will develop, mainly as isolated snow showers or brief squalls. Nothing more than a quick coating of snow is expected and many areas will see no accumulation at all.
Wednesday
What: Sun and clouds.
Light south winds will develop on Wednesday, combining with a mix of sun and clouds to push temperatures back above freezing. It will be a chilly start, though, with lows in the mid 10s. The south breeze will continue into the night, holding temperatures around 30 degrees.
Thursday
What: Morning flurries Thursday
A small weather system will pass through early Thursday morning. A few snow showers will be possible, but no accumulation is expected. The afternoon looks dry with some sun possibly poking out late. Winds will remain gentle, gradually turning from the south to the west or northwest. Afternoon highs will be around 40 degrees.
Friday
What: Cloudy, some evening rain.
Friday looks quiet but rather cloudy. Some rain showers may pass through Friday night. Winds will turn back to the south with highs in the low 40s.
Weekend
A few rain showers may linger over from Friday night into Saturday morning. Sunday has a higher chance for some rain and snow showers, but these do not look too heavy at this time. Temperatures should remain around 40 degrees. There is a chance winds may get a bit gusty at some point, but this remains uncertain.
Late March
The same overall weather pattern is expected to persist into the latter part of March. By March 31, average highs in the area are in the upper 40s, so temperatures will likely be below average, but not wintry-cold. Dry weather overall is favored, though it is March, so the potential for a strong weather system of some sort is always a possibility when speaking of the longer range forecast.
