Millions in for spring weather reality check in Northeast

After parts of the Northeast basked in pleasant and, at times, almost summerlike warmth at the beginning of April, spring will be abruptly put on hold later this week. Many may feel like they've been plunged back into early March as cold, soggy, dreary and, for some, even snowy conditions return.

Not even a week ago, some cities in the Great Lakes shattered high temperature records, when afternoon temperatures soared into the 80s. Buffalo, New York, broke temperature records on both April 8 and April 10, recording highs of 84 and 82 F. Residents of Erie, Pennsylvania, might have wondered if 90 degrees was in reach, as the temperature kept soaring, eventually topping out at 87 degrees on April 8, which was the second-warmest April temperature ever recorded in the city.

While temperatures in the 80s were confined to areas farther west, many places farther east still enjoyed some warmth, with high temperatures climbing into the 70s away from the immediate coast. Philadelphia, New York City and Boston had temperatures reaching the 70s during the first part of last weekend, which is around 10-15 degrees above normal for this time of the year.

However, spring has slowed this week and AccuWeather meteorologists say it will come to a screeching halt by the end of the week, as snow will even return to the forecast.

"The Northeast finally gets a brief break from the rain momentarily before we get some crazy weather here in the Northeast," AccuWeather On-Air Meteorologist Jessica Pash said. "We'll call it weather whiplash."

Following seasonable temperatures on Wednesday, "It's all downhill," Pash said, adding, "Get ready, it's not going to feel like April!"

A series of storm systems sent temperatures tumbling back toward normal for this part of April early this week in the Northeast and Great Lakes, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek, but the temperature drop will become more dramatic late this week.

Dombek explained that this change in the pattern has also led to more clouds and the traditional "April showers" from the maxim, "April showers bring May flowers." However, as temperatures continue to trend downward, some of those showers may begin to turn from wet to white.

"The next storm to arrive in the Northeast Thursday into Friday will be the same one responsible for bringing a return to snowy, wintry weather in the northern Plains early in the week," Dombek said.

"As it arrives in the Northeast, it will still have enough cold air with it to bring some spring snow, especially at higher elevations," Dombek said.

Most locations at lower elevations such as along the Interstate 95 corridor will stay dreary with just a cold rain or showers. After a brief teaser of milder weather with highs in the 60s Tuesday and 70s Wednesday, New York City will struggle to climb out of the 50s by Thursday and Friday, about 10 degrees below normal for mid-April as rain arrives.

Back to the west in places like Erie and Buffalo, temperatures will be stuck in the 40s, nearly 40 degrees cooler than the same time the previous week.

"Those heading outdoors late in the week will definitely have to break out the warmer jackets again, along with carrying the umbrella," Dombek said.

For parts of the Catskills, Adirondacks, Berkshires and Green and White mountains, several inches of snow can pile up from later Thursday into early Friday. Some of highest terrain in these areas may even have a shot at the AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 20 inches.

Roads in higher elevations, including a few major thoroughfares such as Interstate 88 through the Catskills and Interstate 90 over the Berkshires, could turn slippery for a time late Thursday night into Friday morning.

Most snow accumulations and slippery travel conditions that will result are expected to occur in the higher terrain generally above 1,000 feet, but wintry precipitation could make an appearance in some lower elevations too.

"As the storm intensifies just off the coast Thursday night, some heavier snow could develop over interior New England or eastern New York, which could help bring at least a mix of snow to some spots even in the Hudson or Connecticut River valleys," Dombek explained.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

A few valley locations could even wake up to a fresh coating of snow on the grass Friday morning.

While it may be a harsh snap back from the warmth for many, forecasters point out that it isn't that unusual to have a little snow in April. "The weather in parts of the Northeast will certainly look and feel nasty and chilly late this week, but it's certainly not uncommon at this time of year in this part of the country," Dombek noted.

Many cities in the Northeast receive at least a little snow in an average April. Albany, New York, averages 2.1 inches of snow in April. In fact, the last time Albany didn't record any snow in April was in 2012. On April 9, 2000, a spring snowstorm dumped 13.3 inches of snow on Albany.

Worcester, Massachusetts, averages 3 inches of snow in April and, in 2016, Worcester recorded 10 inches of snow from a storm that spanned from April 3 to 4.

Even New York City averages 0.8 of an inch of snow in April -- and a trace of snow was recorded in the Big Apple just last April. The last measurable snow in April in New York City came on April 2, 2018, when 5.5 inches blanketed the Big Apple. Snow is not forecast to fall on New York City during the event later this week.

"For those who don't like the wintry weather, the good news is that this time of year the snow and cold usually don't last long, and this week is no exception," Dombek said. "Temperatures are expected be back into the 50s and 60s for the weekend."

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.