Winter Storm Affecting the Northeast and the Upper Midwest Early This Week...Cold Air for the 1st Day of Spring

Winter Weather Advisories and Winter Storm Warnings are posted for interior sections of the Northeast and the northern and western suburbs of New York City.  Up to 7 inches of snow, sleet and freezing rain is forecast for the Lower Hudson Valley and northern and central portions of Connecticut through Tuesday morning.  The precipitation will fall as snow and sleet this evening in New York City but the precipitation will change to rain late tonight and Tuesday as temperatures rise into the 40s to near 50.  Blizzard Warnings and Winter Storm Warnings are also in effect across the upper Midwest and the Great Lakes today.  A shot of cold Arctic air will pour in behind the storm with January-like temperatures for the next several days across the upper Midwest and the Northeast.  Flurries and lake effect snow will fall this week across the Northeast and the Great Lakes.  Spring arrives on Wednesday.  
The GFS model has been forecasting a coastal storm for the past week for Sunday or Monday that could produce a wintry mix across the Mid-Atlantic States and the Northeast.
George Wright is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist for Wright Weather Consulting, LLC. George is also a meteorologist with ABC News and Cablevision News 12. Our website is WrightWeather.com.