Rest of February expected to be balmy, say experts

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 3 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 significant 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 Thursday. 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 the Mississippi Valley, meteorologists warned severe thunderstorms could give way to late-night tornadoes on Wednesday. Nocturnal tornadoes can be particularly dangerous because the majority of people are sleeping and therefore not as quick to take shelter.

“People need to know where to seek shelter prior to severe weather’s arrival as every second counts,” AccuWeather meteorologist Geoff Cornish said. “Seek interior rooms in the lowest level of a home if there are no storm shelters nearby. If out in the open, a low-lying area or ditch may offer some protection.”

Heavy rainfall is also expected in the area, which poses a risk of flooding. Many rivers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were hovering at minor flood levels Tuesday with a few others at moderate flood levels, AccuWeather reported.