It’s going to feel like a bad April Fool’s joke hit us this weekend when the weather turns to a locked in pattern of below average temperatures – cold enough at times to support snow, perhaps even enough to accumulate. Hard to believe that we almost hit 80ºF in February.

Rest of today – a potent storm system that pummeled large parts of the south with severe weather, including tornadoes, will be moving through the area this afternoon. We won’t see anything nearly as powerful as the storms that hit the south, but it does look like there will be two rounds of moderate rain with a few thunderstorms. The first batch looks to hit around noon and lunch hours, while the second arrives later this evening around 7PM. Gusty southwest winds up to 30mph ahead of the passage of the cold front responsible for these storms will bring temperatures well into the upper-60s and low-70s.

Saturday – much cooler with temperatures in the upper-50s to around 60ºF. A chance for scattered showers remains due to the approach of another cold front from the Great Lakes.

Sunday – we’ll begin to feel the chill in earnest on Sunday as temperatures drop into the mid-30s overnight from Saturday into Sunday. A polar vortex will be moving in over a large part of the northern United States. There could even be some snow showers in the city on Sunday morning before skies clear and winds pick up from the northwest into the 20-30mph range with clearing skies. High temperatures will only be in the mid-40s, nearly 10ºF below average.

Monday – a warm front preceding a low pressure system will move through Monday allowing for temperatures to rise into the low-50s, however, this will be accompanied by rain. Overnight into Tuesday, temperatures should cool enough for this rain to transition to all snow for a period.

A Cool April

The polar jet stream will be dipping well south of us during the medium term, allowing for a polar vortex to move over the region. This will lead to a cooler than average first half of the month, and possibly the entire month. Today might be the last day we see the 60s and 70s for quite some time, so go out and enjoy it while you can.