Friday, February 27, 2015

New York City metro-area forecast for February 27-April 12,2015 from accuweather.com

Here's the 45-day weather forecast for the New York City metro-area for the period of the last 2 days of February,all of March,and the first dozen days of April (and the first 3 weeks of the 2015 spring season), (February 27-April 12),2015 from accuweather.com








Tonight,February 27-28: Becoming clear and unseasonably bitterly cold to frigid for the end of February and very late winter with a record,or near record low temperature dropping to 5-10 degrees above zero,the blustery,biting,northwesterly winds making it feel even colder,like it's ON EITHER SIDE OF ZERO DEGREES,at times,overnight.As of 1:45AM,EST,February 28,it's 16 degrees and mostly clear,with 42% humidity and a northwest wind at 7-mph,making it feel like it's 8 degrees above zero,in White Plains,NY,and it's 19 degrees and clear,with 37% humidity and a north wind at 12-mph,making it feel like it's 5 degrees above zero,in New York City.

Tomorrow,February 28: February of 2015,one of the coldest months and coldest Februarys on record mercifully ends remaining unseasonably quite cold despite plenty of sunshine,with a high temperature of just 25-30 degrees.

Tomorrow night,February 28-March 1: Remaining unseasonably bitterly cold to frigid for the end of winter with increasing cloudiness and a near record low temperature dropping to 10-15 degrees above zero,overnight.

Sunday,March 1: March of 2015 comes in like a lion as it turns cloudy,very cold,and wintry,with a thick cloud cover and a chance for a little afternoon snow and a high temperature of 30-35 degrees. Snow accumulations of up to 2 inches are possible by evening.Remaining rather cloudy,wintry,and very cold for the end of winter,with a bit of evening snow,followed by a late-night wintry mix of snow and sleet,heavy at times,and a low temperature holding at 25-30 degrees,overnight.Snow accumulations of 2-4 inches are possible by morning.

Monday,March 2: Turning much warmer than recent days with early clouds giving way to some sun and a high temperature of around 40 degrees,making this the warmest day in over a month.Becoming clear to partly cloudy and much colder,as it turns unseasonably bitterly cold to frigid,once again,with a low temperature dropping to the middle and upper teens above zero,the blustery,biting, northeasterly winds,which could gust past 20-mph,at times,making it feel even colder,like it's only 5-10 degrees above zero,at times,overnight.

Tuesday,March 3: Becoming mostly cloudy and wintry,but remaining rather cold for the end of winter and the beginning of March,with a bit of an afternoon wintry mix of snow,sleet,and rain and a high temperature of just 35-40 degrees.Remaining cloudy,but turning much warmer than recent nights with a low temperature holding in the middle 30's,overnight.

Wednesday,March 4: Remaining cloudy and rainy,but turning much warmer than recent days with occasional rain and drizzle possible and a high temperature in the upper 40's to lower and middle 50's,making this the warmest day of 2015 so far.Remaining cloudy,but turning much colder with a low temperature plunging to the lower and middle 20's,the blustery,biting,northwesterly winds making it feel even colder,like it's only in the lower and middle teens above zero,at times,overnight.

Thursday,March 5: Becoming partly sunny and much colder,with a high temperature only in the middle 30's.Becoming clear and markedly colder than recent nights,as it turns unseasonably bitterly cold to frigid,once again,with a near record low temperature dropping to 15-20 degrees above zero, the blustery,biting,northwesterly winds,which could gust past 20-mph,at times,making it feel much colder,like it's only A FEW DEGREES ABOVE ZERO,at times,overnight.

Friday,March 6: Remaining unseasonably cold for early March and the end of winter,despite plenty of sunshine and a high temperature of just 30-35 degrees.Remaining clear and unseasonably quite cold for early March,with a low temperature dropping to 20-25 degrees,the blustery,biting, southwesterly winds,which could gust past 20-mph,at times,once again,making it feel much colder, like it's only in the upper single digits to lower teens above zero,at times,overnight.

Saturday,March 7: Not as cold with increasing cloudiness and a high temperature of around 40 degrees.Remaining very cold for early March with clearing and a low temperature dropping to 20-25 degrees,once again,the blustery,biting,northwesterly winds,which could gust up to 30-mph,at times, making it feel even colder,like it's only 10-15 degrees above zero,at times,overnight.

Sunday,March 8: Becoming mostly sunny,but remaining rather cold for early March and the end of winter,with a high temperature only around 40 degrees,once again.Becoming mainly clear and not as cold as recent nights with a low temperature dropping to 25-30 degrees,overnight.

Monday,March 9: Turning much warmer than recent days with partial sunshine and a high temperature in the upper 40's to lower 50's,making this one of the warmest days of 2015 so far.Remaining partly cloudy,but turning warmer than recent nights with a chance for a stray rain shower and a low temperature dropping to 30-35 degrees,the blustery,biting,southwesterly winds,which could gust up to 25-mph,at times,making it feel much colder,like it's only 20-25 degrees,at times,overnight.

Tuesday,March 10: Remaining seasonably mild with partial sunshine and a high temperature of 45-50 degrees.Becoming clear and unseasonably quite cold for the end of winter with a low temperature dropping to the upper teens to lower 20's,overnight.

Wednesday,March 11: Remaining seasonably mild for early March with intervals of clouds and sunshine and a high temperature of 45-50 degrees,once again.Becoming clear,but remaining unseasonably bitterly cold for the end of winter with a low temperature dropping to around 20 degrees,overnight.

Thursday,March 12: Not as mild as recent days with brilliant sunshine and a high temperature of just 40-45 degrees.Remaining clear to partly cloudy,but turning milder than recent nights with a low temperature dropping to around 30 degrees,overnight.

Friday,March 13: Becoming cloudy,but remaining rather cold for early-to-mid March and the end of winter with a high temperature of just 40-45 degrees,once again.Remaining mostly cloudy and seasonably cold for the end of winter,with a bit of late-night freezing rain/ice possible and a low temperature dropping to around 30 degrees,once again,overnight.

Saturday,March 14: Turning much warmer than recent days with variable cloudiness and a chance for some rain showers and a high temperature in the upper 40's to lower 50's.Becoming partly cloudy,but remaining seasonably cold for mid-March and the end of winter,with a chance for an evening rain shower and a low temperature dropping to the upper 20's to lower 30's,overnight.

Sunday,March 15: Remaining seasonably mild for mid-March with increasing cloudiness and a high temperature in the upper 40's to lower 50's,once again.Not as cold as recent nights with clearing and a low temperature dropping to the lower and middle 30's,overnight.

Monday,March 16: Not as mild with a mix of sun and some clouds and a high temperature in the middle and upper 40's.Remaining partly cloudy and seasonably cold for mid-March,with a low temperature dropping to around 30 degrees,overnight.

Tuesday,March 17: St.Patrick's Day 2015 will be remaining seasonably cool to mild for the end of winter with early clouds giving way to sun and a high temperature in the middle and upper 40's,once again.Becoming clear,but remaining seasonably cold for mid-March,with a low temperature dropping to the upper 20's to lower 30's,overnight.

Wednesday,March 18: Remaining seasonably cool for mid-to-late March with ample sunshine and a high temperature,for the third straight day,in the middle and upper 40's.Becoming clear and colder than recent nights,turning unseasonably quite cold for mid-to-late March with a low temperature dropping to the lower and middle 20's,overnight.

Thursday,March 19: The last (full) day of the 2014-15 winter season,one of the snowiest,and certainly one of the coldest on record,will be turning rainy,raw,dank,dreary,and unseasonably chilly for mid-to-late March with variable cloudiness and a chance for a couple of late-afternoon rain showers and a high temperature of just 40-45 degrees.Remaining cloudy,rainy,but turning wintry late with plenty of clouds and a chance for a couple of evening rain showers followed by a late-night wintry mix of rain and sleet and a low temperature dropping to the upper 20's to lower 30's,the blustery,biting,southwesterly winds making it feel much colder,like it's only in the middle and upper teens above zero,at times,overnight.

Friday,March 20: The first day of the 2015 spring season will be not as chilly with intervals of clouds and sunshine and a high temperature of 45-50 degrees.Remaining partly cloudy and cold with a low temperature dropping to 25-30 degrees,overnight.

Saturday,March 21: The first (full) day of the 2015 spring season will be not as mild with abundant sunshine and a high temperature only in the lower and middle 40's.Becoming clear and cold with a low temperature dropping to the middle and upper 20's,overnight.

Sunday,March 22: Remaining rather chilly to cold for very late March with increasing amounts of sun and a high temperature in the lower and middle 40's,once again.Not as cold as recent nights with patchy clouds and a low temperature dropping to the upper 20's to lower and middle 30's,overnight.

Monday,March 23: Turning cloudy,rainy,raw,dank,dreary,and chilly with periods of rain and a high temperature only in the middle 40's.Remaining cloudy and rainy,but turning warmer than recent nights with a chance for rain and a low temperature dropping to 35-40 degrees,the blustery,biting, southeasterly winds,which could gust up to 30-mph,at times,making it feel much colder,like it's only 25-30 degrees,at times,overnight.

Tuesday,March 24: Remaining cloudy and rainy,but turning milder/warmer than recent days with a chance for more rain and a high temperature in the upper 40's to lower 50's.Remaining cloudy,rainy, raw,dank,dreary,and seasonably chilly for very late March and the beginning of spring,with a chance for a little rain and a low temperature dropping to 35-40 degrees,once again,the blustery,biting, northerly winds,which could gust up to 25-mph,at times,making it feel much colder,like it's only 25-30 degrees,at times,once again,overnight.

Wednesday,March 25: Remaining cloudy and rainy,but turning even warmer with periods of rain and a high temperature in the middle and upper 50's,making this the warmest day of 2015 so far.Remaining cloudy,rainy,raw,dank,and dreary,with periods of rain and a low temperature dropping to the upper 30's to lower and middle 40's,the blustery,biting,southwesterly winds,which could gust up to 30-mph,at times,making it feel much colder,like it's only in the lower and middle 20's,at times, overnight.

Thursday,March 26: Remaining cloudy and mild to downright warm for the beginning of spring with a high temperature of 55-60 degrees,making this the warmest day of 2015 so far.Remaining mostly cloudy,rainy,raw,dank,and dreary,with a chance for a little rain and a low temperature dropping to 35-40 degrees,overnight.

Friday,March 27: Remaining mostly cloudy and rainy,but turning much colder than recent days as it turns unseasonably chilly,once again,with a chance for a spotty morning rain shower and a high temperature only in the middle and upper 40's.Turning much colder than recent nights with clearing and a low temperature dropping to around 30 degrees,overnight.

Saturday,March 28: Remaining unseasonably chilly despite ample sunshine,with a high temperature of just 45-50 degrees.Becoming partly cloudy and not as cold with a low temperature dropping to the lower and middle 30's,overnight.

Sunday,March 29: Palm Sunday 2015 will be remaining rather chilly to cold for the end of March and the beginning of spring,with a blend of sun and clouds and a chance for a spotty afternoon rain shower and a high temperature of just 45-50 degrees,once again.Becoming partly cloudy,windy,raw, and very cold for the beginning of spring,with a low temperature dropping to around 30 degrees,the blustery,biting,northwesterly winds,which could gust past 40-mph,at times,making it feel markedly colder,like it's only in the upper single digits to lower teens above zero,at times,overnight.

Monday,March 30: Becoming mostly sunny,but remaining unseasonably chilly with a high temperature only in the middle and upper 40's,the blustery,biting,northwesterly winds,which could gust past 35-mph,at times,making it feel even colder,like it's only 35-40 degrees,at times.Becoming partly cloudy,but remaining very cold for the end of March,with a low temperature dropping to around 30 degrees,once again,overnight.

Tuesday,March 31: March of 2015 ends remaining rather chilly for very early spring despite abundant sunshine,with a high temperature of just 45-50 degrees.Remaining rather cold with patchy clouds and a low temperature dropping to the upper 20's to lower 30's,overnight.

Wednesday,April 1: April Fool's Day 2015 will be remaining cloudy and rainy,but starting out wintry with considerable cloudiness and a bit of morning freezing rain/ice followed by a bit of afternoon rain and a high temperature of just 45-50 degrees,once again.Remaining cloudy and rainy,but turning milder than recent nights with a chance for a chilly rain and a low temperature dropping to the middle and upper 30's,the blustery,biting,northeasterly winds,which could gust up to 30-mph,at times, making it feel much colder,like it's only in the upper teens to lower 20's above zero,at times, overnight.

Thursday,April 2: Remaining cloudy,rainy,raw,dank,dreary,and unseasonably chilly for early spring with occasional rain and a high temperature,for the third straight day,of just 45-50 degrees.Remaining cloudy and rainy,but turning wintry late with periods of rain followed by periods of freezing rain/ice and a low temperature dropping to the upper 20's to lower 30's,the blustery,biting,northeasterly winds,which could gust past 30-mph,at times,making it feel brutally cold to downright frigid for the early spring and the beginning of April,like it's only 10-15 degrees above zero,at times,overnight.

Friday,April 3: Good Friday 2015 will be remaining cloudy,rainy,wintry,raw,and unseasonably raw and cold for the beginning of April,with a chance for a morning rain or snow shower followed by a little afternoon rain and a high temperature only in the middle and upper 40's.Remaining cloudy, rainy,wintry,raw,and unseasonably very cold for very early spring with a spotty rain or snow shower and a low temperature dropping to the upper 20's to lower 30's,once again,the blustery,biting, northeasterly winds,which could gust up to 25-mph,at times,making it feel much colder,like it's only 15-20 degrees above zero,at times,overnight.

Saturday,April 4: Becoming partly sunny,but remaining unseasonably chilly for early spring and very early April with a high temperature of just 45-50 degrees.Remaining partly cloudy and unseasonably cold for early April with a low temperature dropping,for the third straight night,down to the upper 20's to lower 30's,overnight.

Sunday,April 5: Easter Sunday 2015 will be turning mostly sunny,but remaining unseasonably chilly for early spring and early April,with a high temperature of 45-50 degrees,once again.Becoming partly cloudy,but remaining unseasonably cold for early April,with a low temperature dropping to 30-35 degrees,overnight.

Monday,April 6: Remaining rather cool for early April and early spring,with a mix of sun and some clouds and a high temperature only around 50 degrees.Turning mostly cloudy,rainy,and warmer than recent nights with a chance for a little rain and a low temperature dropping to 35-40 degrees, overnight.

Tuesday,April 7: Turning cloudy,rainy,and seasonably mild for early April and early spring with a chance for rain and a high temperature of 50-55 degrees.Remaining cloudy,rainy,and seasonably mild for early spring and early April with a chance for a little evening rain followed by a spotty late-night rain shower possible and a low temperature dropping to the upper 30's to lower 40's,the blustery, biting,southwesterly winds,which could gust up to 30-mph,at times,making it feel much colder,like it's only 25-30 degrees,at times,overnight.

Wednesday,April 8: Remaining seasonably mild for early April and early spring with clouds giving way to some sun and a high temperature of 50-55 degrees,once again.Becoming clear and colder than recent nights with a low temperature dropping to 30-35 degrees,the blustery,biting,northwesterly winds,which could gust up to 30-mph,at times,making it feel bitterly cold to frigid for early April,like it's only in the upper teens to lower 20's above zero,at times,overnight.

Thursday,April 9: Not as mild with ample sunshine and a high temperature only in the upper 40's to lower 50's.Remaining clear and unseasonably cold for early April with a low temperature dropping to 30-35 degrees,once again,overnight.

Friday,April 10: Remaining mostly sunny but chilly for early April,with a high temperature only in the upper 40's to lower 50's,once again.Turning cloudy,rainy,and not as cold as recent nights with considerable cloudiness and a chance for a little rain and a low temperature dropping to 35-40 degrees,the blustery,biting,southwesterly winds,which could gust up to 30-mph,at times,making it feel much colder,like it's only in the middle and upper 20's,at times,overnight.

Saturday,April 11: Remaining unseasonably chilly for early April and early spring with considerable cloudiness and a high temperature of just 50-55 degrees.Remaining mainly cloudy and unseasonably cold with a near record low temperature dropping to 30-35 degrees,the blustery,biting,northwesterly winds,which could gust up to 30-mph,at times,making it feel much colder,like it's only in the upper teens to lower 20's above zero,at times,overnight.

Sunday,April 12: Becoming mostly sunny,but remaining unseasonably chilly for early-to-mid April and early spring with a high temperature only in the upper 40's to lower 50's.Remaining clear and unseasonably cold for early spring with a low temperature dropping to 30-35 degrees,once again, overnight.

Winter Just Won't Quit: Another Cold Blast for the Plains, Midwest and Northeast (FORECAST)

Chrissy Warrilow
Published: February 27,2015




 
The surges of arctic air across the central and eastern United States have been relentless this month.
(MORE: Coldest February on Record?)





Current Temperatures
Last week, we saw an arctic blast that brought temperatures unexperienced in decades to some cities. Another shot of bitter cold air arrived at the start of this week, breaking numerous daily record lows in the Midwest and Northeast.
Widespread below-average temperatures are expected to close out the week east of the Rockies as the next batch of bitter cold air moves southward on Thursday.
Below is the forecast for the shivering temperatures into this weekend, followed by a recap of the record cold from earlier in week.
(MORE: Daily Temperature Forecast Maps)

Saturday 

Morning Lows: Yet another round of subzero readings will revisit parts of the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, interior Northeast and Northern New England. Record lows will be threatened in more than three dozen locations from the Midwest to the Northeast.
Potential Record Lows (record to beat is in parentheses): Indianapolis (2 degrees) | Pittsburgh (minus 1 degrees) | Cleveland (0 degrees) | Chicago (0 degrees) | Philadelphia (9 degrees) | Syracuse, New York (minus 3 degrees) | South Bend, Indiana (2 degrees)
If Pittsburgh drops below zero it will be the eighth subzero reading in the Steel City this winter; that hasn't happened since the winter of 1980-81.
Highs: Temperatures will begin to warm a little but will still be below average from the Rockies to the East Coast. Highs will reach the 20s and 30s for much of the Midwest and Northeast with highs ranging from the 30s to the 60s in the South.
To see how cold it will get in your city, click the link below.
(MORE: Your City's Forecast)

Saturday AM Lows/Saturday Highs
There is some good news as temperatures will likely moderate in the East by Sunday and Monday, ahead of another storm.

Record Cold So Far 

Below-average temperatures were in place to start the day on Friday in all areas east of the Rockies, except the Florida Peninsula. Subzero readings stretched from the interior Northeast to the Plains, Great Lakes and Upper Midwest.
Record lows were set on Friday (new record in parentheses) in Waterloo, Iowa (minus 24 degrees), Springfield, Illinois (minus 12 degrees) and Paducah, Kentucky (11 degrees).
Records were also set earlier in the week.
Tuesday morning, daily record lows were set in Concord, New Hampshire (minus 20 degrees), Burlington, Vermont (minus 19 degrees), Pittsburgh (minus 9 degrees), Binghamton, New York (minus 6 degrees), Rochester, New York (minus 9 degrees), Columbus, Ohio (minus 11 degrees), Indianapolis (minus 5 degrees) and Cincinnati (minus 7 degrees).
Syracuse, New York dipped below zero for a record 20th time in 2015 Tuesday morning, topping the previous calendar-year record of 19 such days in 1948. Bangor, Maine chalked up its 17th day with a subzero low this month alone, setting a February record there.
Bridgeport, Connecticut dipped to 0 degrees Tuesday morning, the latest in the winter season temperatures have been so cold. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (minus 4 degrees) and Windsor Locks, Connecticut (minus 8 degrees) also dipped to their coldest readings so late in the season Tuesday.
Based on preliminary data, statewide lows for Tuesday included 19 below zero in Paris, Illinois; 16 below zero in Bloomington, Indiana; 21 below zero in Newark, Ohio; 28 below zero in Chandler Valley, Pennsylvania; 15 below zero in Sussex, New Jersey; 29 below zero in Freeville, New York; 35 below zero near Sutton, Vermont; 35 below zero at Mount Washington and at First Connecticut Lake, New Hampshire; 26 below zero in Rangeley, Maine; 21 below zero in Orange, Massachusetts; 16 below zero at Stafordville and New Hartford, Connecticut; and 9 below zero in Smithfield, Rhode Island.
(MORE: The Nation's Greatest Arctic Outbreaks)
Afternoon temperatures Tuesday were still below freezing as far south as the beaches of northeastern South Carolina. Parts of New England were stuck in the single digits. Frenchville, Maine, had only managed to warm up to 4 degrees above zero as of 4 p.m. Tuesday.
The latest round of frigid air moved southward into the Midwest and Plains on Sunday. Wind chills were in the 40s below zero in parts of North Dakota and northern Minnesota Sunday morning. Bottineau, North Dakota saw the lowest actual air temperature in the Lower 48, dipping to minus 32 degrees.
On Monday morning, subzero temperatures were observed as far south as Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. Lows in the 30s below zero were reported in a few spots in northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and northern Michigan, while teens and 20s below zero were quite common throughout those three states.
The nation's low Monday was recorded at Clarksburg in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where the mercury hit 38 below zero. Minneapolis equaled its lowest temperature so far this winter at minus 11 degrees.
(By contrast, the state low for Alaska Monday was just 4 below zero at Barrow. Amazingly, of the 31 major weather reporting sites in Alaska, including Barrow, 26 sites had lows – yes, lows – at or above 32 degrees.)
Daily record lows Monday morning included Cleveland (minus 5 degrees); Flint, Michigan (minus 17 degrees); Fort Wayne, Indiana (minus 6 degrees); Erie, Pennsylvania (minus 7 degrees); and Grand Rapids, Michigan (minus 10 degrees).
MORE: Winter Storm Pandora in Photos

15-Vehicle Pileup Shuts Down U.S. Highway 75 North of Dallas

Zain Haidar
Published: February 27,2015





 
A multivehicle crash in Melissa, Texas, shut down U.S. Highway 75 southbound Friday morning.
Around 10 a.m., just as heavy snow from Winter Storm Sparta began to fall in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, 15 vehicles collided on the highway.
The accident, which happened about 40 miles north of downtown Dallas, involved two semis and 13 cars, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reported. The pileup slowed traffic to a crawl in the area.
(MORE: Winter Storm Sparta Forecast) 
"Snow was reported in the area around the time of the incident, along with fog, and visibilities were down to 0.25 mile in spots," weather.com meteorologist Linda Lam said.
Police initially reported there were no injuries, but NBC DFW later confirmed two motorists sustained minor injuries.
In Fort Worth, the I-30 and I-35 West mixmaster has been closed off because of due to deteriorating conditions. U.S. Highway 75 southbound remains closed.
This is breaking news. Check back for updates. 
MORE: Winter Storm Remus

Winter Storm Sparta: Snow, Ice In the Plains, Midwest, Northeast and West (FORECAST)

Jon Erdman
Published: February 27,2015





 
March may arrive Sunday, but Winter Storm Sparta is poised to bring an expansive stripe of snow and some freezing rain through the weekend in parts of the Plains, Midwest and Northeast.

Jet Stream Setup This Weekend

Current Radar

Saturday's Forecast

Sunday's Forecast

48-Hour Snowfall Forecast
(MORE: Expert Analysis | Winter Storm Central)

Southern Plains Friday

One upper-level impulse associated with a developing southward dip in the jet stream is spreading snow into some of the same parts of north Texas and southern Oklahoma, which were just blanketed by both Winter Storms Quantum and Remus.
A fairly strong surface high pressure will still be in place over the mid-Mississippi Valley Friday morning, which means there won't be an infusion of Gulf of Mexico moisture.
That said, we expect an inch of two of fluffy snow Friday in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, northward into Oklahoma.
(MORE: Is Southern Snow Unusual?)
Somewhat higher totals of fluffy snow are expected to the west over the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, as well as eastern New Mexico. Expect hazardous travel as pavement temperatures cooled by this week's wintry weather will allow accumulations to occur quickly, rather than melt.
(FORECASTS: Amarillo | Lubbock)
If that wasn't enough, some freezing drizzle is expected Friday night across southern Oklahoma and north Texas, making roads, especially bridges and overpasses even more hazardous by Saturday morning.

Weekend Mess

The jet stream will send a series of disturbances rippling over the battleground between arctic cold and warmer air trying to push north. The first of these, Winter Storm Sparta, will spread a wintry mess through the Plains, Midwest and Northeast this weekend.
The maps show our current forecasts for Saturday and Sunday. It should be noted that we expect the majority of precipitation to push through the I-95 Northeast corridor later Sunday into Sunday night.
Here is the general flavor of this weekend's mess.
Snow: 
- A stripe of moderate to locally heavy snow from the central Plains to the mid-Mississippi Valley, southern Great Lakes and interior Northeast.
- CITIES: Kansas City | Chicago | Pittsburgh | Boston
Sleet/ice
- To the south of that stripe of snow, some sleet and/or freezing rain is possible from the central and southern Plains into the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic states.
- This does not appear to be a major ice storm. Instead, impacts mainly look to be slick roads, especially bridges and overpasses, with perhaps some sporadic power outages in the extreme.
- CITIES: Wichita | Louisville | Philadelphia
If that wasn't enough, the snowy, icy beat continues into next week, as more jet-stream energy nosedives into California, and yet another wintry mess takes shape in parts of the Plains, Midwest and East Tuesday into Wednesday.
(MAPS: 10-day Forecast)
Check back with us at weather.com and The Weather Channel for the latest on this wintry mess.

MORE: Winter Storm Remus Photos

Crunch Time Ahead for California Drought Relief

By: Bob Henson , 6:25PM,GMT on February 27,2015






Californians are watching anxiously to see if a “Miracle March” or “Awesome April” salvages the worst snowpack season on record thus far in parts of the Sierra Nevada. Snow that piles up across the mountain range from autumn through spring furnishes more than 60% of the state’s water for consumer and agricultural use. Winter precipitation across California hasn’t been too far from average, but even more than usual, most of it has fallen in a relatively small number of wet storms, mainly in the first half of December and early February. The San Francisco Bay area saw its first bone-dry January in more than a century of weather records. Outside of December, which brought 17 wet days, San Francisco (downtown) has seen just 14 days of measurable rain since October 1.


Figure 1. Departures from normal for the height of the 500-millibar surface (in meters), averaged for the period Nov. 1 - Feb. 14 in 2013-14 (top) and 2014-15 (bottom). The positive departures (red) correspond to the location of the “Ridiculously Resilient Ridge”. Image credit: NOAA/ESRL, via California Weather Blog.


In many ways this winter resembles 2013-14, when the “Ridiculously Resilient Ridge” just offshore steered wet systems well north of California. This year’s upper-level features (Figure 1, right) have tended to park a little bit east of last year’s, enough to extent record warmth to the Great Basin and allow the occasional big storm to push its way onshore while smaller, weaker storms spin across Southern California. Upper-level ridging has strengthened over the past month, leading Daniel Swain (California Weather Blog) to proclaim the arrival of the Ridiculously Resilient Ridge, Redux.

A cardinal feature of this winter’s storms from California to Washington is their unusual warmth, which means that much of the water ran off from the Sierra as rain rather than accumulating as snow. Reservoirs in northern California got a healthy boost, now running from 70% - 100% of average for this time of year, but central California reservoirs are still hurting, most of them holding half at best of the seasonal average. The “reservoir” of water within snowpack is in far worse shape from the Sierra Nevada north through the Cascades, with most sites reporting 25% or less of the amount of water typically stored in snowpack at this time of year. Figure 2 illustrates the depleted state of snowfall in Yosemite National Park at elevations of more than 8,000 feet.


Figure 2. On February 19, the NWS office in Hanford, Washington, tweeted this photo of a nearly snowless landscape, taken in Yosemite National Park at an elevation of 8,100 feet. Image credit: Elizabeth Christie.


California is entering its fourth consecutive year of widespread drought, as measured by the U.S. Drought Monitor, which takes into account soil conditions and streamflow as well as precipitation. This is the third multiyear drought in California since 2000, and as Figure 3 shows, it’s the worst of the three in terms of the geographic extent of the most dire drought categories. Each year of consecutive drought magnifies the impact, as progressively tougher adaptations must be called on. Last month, California’s State Water Project anticipated being able to meet only 15% of the contracted water needs of its customers (which include 25 million Californians) in 2015. Most of the burden will fall on agriculture, the main user of water in California, but cities will be affected as well. David Behar (San Francisco Public Utilities Commission) told me that his agency has asked customers to cut 10% from their total water use. “That’s happened across our service area in a very solid way. I think we’re seeing people take this drought very seriously,” he said. "Even a 20% cut would be tough, but we could weather it.” The bigger question is what might happen in a drought lasting a decade or longer: ”Every drought we live through this century will be a dry run, no pun intended, for what we might see in the future.”

Bob Henson


Figure 3. The percent of California’s land area at various stages of drought over the last 15 years, as defined by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Image credit: NWS/Hanford and drought.gov.

Weather Underground National Forecast for Friday,February 27,2015

By: nationalsummary , 11:00PM,GMT on February 26,2015





Weather Underground Forecast for Friday,February 27,2015

A low pressure system will affect the western third of the country on Friday, while an arctic high pressure system will slide across the Plains and the Midwest.

An area of low pressure will sink south southeastward over the Pacific Northwest, the Great Basin and the Southwest. This system will usher light to moderate rain across western Washington, western Oregon and northwest California during Friday morning. A mixture of rain and snow will affect the Cascades, the northern Rockies, the Great Basin and the Sierra Nevada. During the second half of the day, this system will usher showers across southwest California and the Desert Southwest. Moderate snow will begin to impact the southern Sierra Nevada, the Wasatch and the southern Rockies.

Meanwhile, an arctic high pressure system will shift slowly southeastward over the Plains and the Midwest. Upslope flow will generate moderate to heavy snow over the southeastern corner of the Rockies, as well as the southern Plains. An onshore flow from the Gulf of Mexico will interact with this air mass, creating an area of rain and freezing rain over central and southern Texas. In addition, bitter cold conditions will affect the northern Plains, the Midwest, the Ohio Valley, the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Wind chill advisories are already in place for eastern North Dakota, northwest Minnesota and portions of Indiana.

The tail end of a cold front will shift over the Gulf of Mexico and the western Atlantic. This frontal boundary will bring chances of showers and thunderstorms to southern Florida. Stormy weather will likely wind down by the afternoon.

This Date in Weather History for February 28,2015 from weatherforyou.com

Weather History
For Saturday,February 28,2015
1900 - A massive storm spread record snows from Kansas to New York State. Snowfall totals ranged up to 17.5 inches at Springfield IL and 43 inches at Rochester NY, with up to 60 inches in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. (David Ludlum)
1952 - An intense storm brought coastal sections of southeastern Massachusetts to a halt, stranding 3000 motorists on Lower Cape, and leaving ten thousand homes on the Cape without electricity. Winds gusting to 72 mph created mountainous snowdrifts of the 18 inches of snow which buried Nantucket and Hyannis. A barometric pressure reading of 29.02 inches was reported at the center of the storm. (The Weather Channel)
1987 - A powerful storm produced severe thunderstorms in Louisiana and Mississippi early in the day. About mid morning a monstrous tornado touched down near Moselle MS and grew to a width of two miles as it passed near Laurel MS. The tornado traveled a distance of 40 miles killing six persons, injuring 350 others, and causing 28.5 million dollars damage. The tornado swept homes right off their foundations, and tossed eighteen wheel trucks about like toys. Strong straight line winds associated with the powerful storm system gusted to 70 mph at Jonesboro AR and Carbondale IL. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1988 - Thunderstorms in California produced severe weather during the early morning hours. Strong thunderstorm winds, gusting to 74 mph, downed trees in the Sacramento area. Unseasonably mild weather prevailed in the northwestern U.S. The afternoon high of 71 degrees at Portland OR was a February record. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1989 - Thunderstorms in the southeast corner of the nation produced winds gusts to 58 mph at Fort Lauderdale FL, and a total of seven inches of rain. Heavy snow whitened parts of the Northern Plateau and the Northern Rockies, with ten inches reported at Marion MT. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1990 - Showers and thunderstorms over the Southern Plains Region capped a record wet February for parts of Oklahoma. Totals for the month ranged up to 9.11 inches at McCurtain, with 4.63 inches reported at Oklahoma City. Snow and sleet fell across northern Oklahoma, with four inches reported at Freedom and Jefferson. Snow also spread across southern Kansas into Missouri and Arkansas, with six inches of snow reported at Harrison AR. In Alaska, February temperatures at Nome averaged 21 degrees below normal, ranging from -38 degrees to 29 degrees during the month. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
2012 - The first confirmed February tornado in Nebraska state history struck Lincoln and Logan Counties shortly after 4PM. The EF-0 tornado was on the ground intermittently for up to six minutes and traveled 3 miles before dissipating in southwest Logan County. The path of the tornado was over open rangeland and cropland where limited damage occurred. Patches of snow were still on the ground at the time. (NWS North Platte)

This Date in Weather History for February 27,2015 from weatherforyou.com

Weather History
For Friday,February 27,2015
 
 
 
 
1717 - What was perhaps the greatest snow in New England history commenced on this date. During a ten day period a series of four snowstorms dumped three feet of snow upon Boston, and the city was snowbound for two weeks. Up to six feet of snow was reported farther to the north, and drifts covered many one story homes. (David Ludlum)
1969 - A record snowstorm in Maine came to an end. Two to four feet of snow buried southern and central Maine, with a state record of 57 inches reported at West Forks. Drifts covered many single story homes, and the weight of the snow collapsed many roofs. Two to four feet of snow also buried northeastern Vermont and northeastern Massachusetts. In New Hampshire, Mount Washington NH reported 97.8 inches of snow, a record storm total for New England. (24th-28th) (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel)
1987 - A storm spread heavy snow into the Central High Plains Region, and produced severe thunderstorms in the Southern Plains. Snowfall totals in western Nebraska ranged up to 19 inches at Sydney. Severe thunderstorms in Oklahoma produced baseball size hail at Stringtown and Atoka. A storm in the eastern U.S. produced heavy rain over the Carolinas and heavy snow in the southern Appalachians and piedmont region. Five inches of rain left four feet of water in the streets of Greenville SC. Snowfall totals in southwestern Virginia ranged up to 20 inches. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1988 - Thunderstorms along a cold front produced heavy rain in southern California, with up to 2.52 inches reported in Ventura County. Strong winds accompanying the rain gusted to 55 mph in the Tehachapi Mountains. Rapid City SD established a February record with an afternoon high of 75 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1989 - Rain and snow prevailed in the southeastern U.S. Up to eight inches of snow blanketed north central Tennessee, and snowfall totals in western North Carolina ranged up to 14 inches at Mount Mitchell. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
1990 - A winter storm produced heavy snow in southeastern Colorado, with 12 inches reported at Lamar. The same storm produced severe thunderstorms over the Southern High Plains, with wind gusts to 93 mph reported at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Low pressure brought high winds to the Prince William Sound area of Alaska. Big River Lakes reported wind gusts to 92 mph. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
2010 - A weak EF0 tornado causes no damage as it moved across California's southern San Joaquin Valley. However it is the only tornado reported in the United States during the month. According to the Storm Prediction Center only five months since 1950 have lacked a tornado report. The Weather Doctor

Record Chill to Loosen Grip on East, Midwest in March

By Brian Lada, Meteorologist
February 27,2015; 11:30PM,EST
 
 
February is shaping up to be one of the coldest months in the record books for the Northeast and Midwest, but this chill will weaken heading into March.
Temperatures plummeted below zero across much of the Midwest, Northeast and Tennessee Valley on several occasions during February, setting record lows in dozens of cities.
Temperatures are not forecast to be quite as extreme heading into the first week of March, giving folks across the regions a break from the bitterly cold arctic air.
According to AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson, "Indications are the pattern will change next week so that the cold is much less severe from the Midwest to the Northeast."
This will still yield temperatures 5 to 15 degrees below normal. Despite staying below normal, this is still a significant difference from around the middle of February when temperatures from Minnesota to Massachusetts ran 15 to 30 degrees below normal.

After a winter storm slides across the Midwest and Northeast this weekend, another storm system will affect the regions during the first part of next week.
Unlike the storms that tracked across the regions during February, this upcoming storm is expected to track farther north. As a result, temperatures will climb well above freezing across the Ohio Valley along the Interstate-95 corridor.
Farther south, some people may come down with a case of spring fever as highs could top out in the 80s in parts of Georgia and Florida.
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This is not expected to be a long-lasting warmth; however, as another push of cold Canadian air moves over the regions in the wake of the storm.
As a result, temperatures are expected to tumble during the second part of next week. However, this push of cold air should not be as extreme as some that brought record lows across the East and Midwest during the month of February.



February 2015: A Frigid Month for the Record Books

Arctic Air Breaks All-Time Records

Minus 19 FCapeGirardeau,Missouri,setitsall-timerecordlowonFeb.19,2015.Minus 18 FErie,Pennsylvania,tieditsall-timerecordlowonFeb.19,2015.Minus 13 FBristol,Tennessee,shattereditsall-timerecordonFeb.20,2015.Theoldrecordwas13F.Minus 11 FLynchburg,Virginia,setitsall-timerecordonFeb.20,2015.

February Temperature Departures

-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-10Buffalo, NYBurlington, VTDetroit, MIBoston, MAChicago, IL

Bone-Chilling by the Numbers

26ThenumberofdegreesbywhichBristol,Tennessee,brokeitsall-timerecordlow.2ThelowesttemperaturerecordedinNewYorkCity(CentralPark)sinceJan.16,2004.

The coldest air during the second half of next week will be centered over an area west of the Appalachians to the Rockies.
While the rise in temperature during March may be welcome by most, others may find it to be troublesome.
With how much snow that has fallen in New England this season, the uptick in temperatures paired with rain brought by next week's storm system could lead to localized flooding and ice jams on rivers.
An additional danger may come to those around Boston.
The combination of snow on roofs and rainwater will bring an increased risk of roof collapses due to the added weight of the water.
People across New England are encouraged to remove snow from their roofs ahead of the warmth and rain to reduce the risk of roof collapses.