3.25 AM Zones: Fleeting warmth as backdoor cold front approaches

Good morning! Warm weather will move into the Mid Atlantic and parts of Southern and Central New Jersey today (it already has) as a warm front slowly creeps northward into New England. It will only be there very briefly, much to the disappointment of those who are hoping for the quick arrival of Spring. Instead a cold front/backdoor cold front hybrid will sink southward from Ontario into New England as the day goes on today.

The cold air to the north and well developed southerly flow with warm air to the south will create quite a thermal gradient as the day goes on today. Unfortunately, for most, this means the return of clouds and showers as the colder airmass will win out over time. The backdoor cold front will sink southward from New Jersey and New York City back into the Mid Atlantic States as the day goes on today.

Forecast models show an impressive backdoor cold front this afternoon.

Forecast models show an impressive backdoor cold front this afternoon.

With the backdoor cold front will come the return of a damp, cool airmass. Temperatures may vary by as much as 30-40 degrees on either side of the front, with 70’s in the Mid Atlantic and 40’s in New England by afternoon today. The fronts southward movement will mean the return of moisture and clouds to much of our region, and temperatures cooling quite dramatically as the afternoon draws on into the evening.

Drizzle will also return to the forecast with low level moisture and some lift moving back into the atmosphere. Low clouds and fog will return by tonight, and may even linger into Sunday as a few weak atmospheric disturbances move along in the mid and upper level flow. The main highlight of the forecast? That Spring-like warmth will truly be fleeting and the cold damp airmass will win out once again.

Sunday and Monday look like equally bleak days. Clouds and showers are likely to hang around with the presence of low level moisture as a few systems develop back to our west, and cold high pressure and backdoor front remain near and to our south, respectively. The forecast looks to remain unsettled through the middle part of the week ahead.