Spring is officially here! 🌱

Update #490

👋 Greetings all! Happy spring ~ the vernal equinox occurs today, Sunday, March 20th at 11:33 am 🥳

Today, the Earth’s axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun. This results in near-equal daylength across the world.

Two steps forward, one step back — it may sound cliché, but it’s exactly how I’d describe the progression of the weather between last week and this coming week.

Following a week that brought our first (and record-tying) 70+ degree day of the year and the warmest temperature since last October, we’ll settle into a more seasonable pattern this coming week.

⚡ It comes after the region also experienced its first thunderstorm of the year on Saturday evening, a sign that the season is well and truly changing!

⚡ Lightning illuminates the sky on Saturday night | 📸 Meghan Field, Blooming Grove

The week ahead — decent to start, goes downhill

After temperatures in the mid 50s today, Monday will turn out a bit warmer (upper 50s to near 60) with plenty of sunshine and a breeze. Dry conditions will continue on Tuesday with high temperatures a few degrees cooler than Monday.

Not a bad start to the week. Enjoy it, because it won’t last…

The weather will start to go downhill on Wednesday as a large storm system gathers in the Midwest. It will be overcast in the Hudson Valley with some rain possible by late in the day.

Thursday’s forecast is a bit uncertain at this time — one scenario involves lingering rain and cooler temperatures while another scenario has the rain clearing and giving way to milder temperatures.

At the moment, Friday looks OK. Next weekend might not be greatest, though: cooler air will bleed eastward as a disturbance in the upper atmosphere swirls over our heads. I’ve included a shower chance in the forecast, but it’s likely we’ll have to wait a few more days for the finer details to emerge.

The week of the 28th looks colder than normal to start but things could turn around by midweek.

Up, down, up, down… typical spring! 🎢

A surge of cooler air (🔵) will cross the Northeast starting on Saturday March 26th, lasting several days

The sun has almost set on the snow day season. Stay tuned for my special farewell video to Old Man Winter in the coming few weeks!

The sun sets on a late summer evening in Auckland, New Zealand

Whatever the weather, have a sensational first week of spring! 🌤️