The long-awaited mild air is finally within reach. Temperatures will rise significantly in Connecticut next week, with highs in the 50s (and possibly even the 60s in some places). This time of year, as the sun rises higher in the sky each day, the chances of another major snowstorm are steadily decreasing. I won’t put the snow shovel away just yet, though.
It’s still March after all, which is very much a transitional month. Fluctuating between lingering winter cold and signs of early spring warmth is common, and the fluctuations sometimes show up quickly. In fact, we may get a warning Thursday night when icy conditions are possible in parts of the state.
Sleet and freezing rain caused school closures in parts of Connecticut earlier this week. (Dan Amarante)
From a climate perspective, the last snowpack of the season in Connecticut typically occurs in mid to late March. But there are notable exceptions. In this week’s video, I look back at storms like the 1997 April Fool’s Day Blizzard, which dropped 1 to 2 feet of snow on southern New England just a year after a record-breaking winter.
Looking ahead, forecast models suggest there will be a few days of above-normal temperatures next week before a return to more typical March weather may occur later this month. This broader pattern is also reflected in the NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s temperature outlook, which predicts below-average temperatures in the near future.
Temperatures across much of the country are likely to be above normal from March 10 to March 14, according to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. (NOAA/Climate Prediction Center)
This article was originally published on After a cold and snowy winter, what are the chances of CT seeing snow this spring?.