It’s no secret that this Spring has featured more ups and downs (temperature-wise) than an entire theme park full of rollercoasters.

Every time we get that cold blast, we hope its the last – but, alas, it never is. And really, it’s not uncommon for these cold blasts to linger through April and even early May, if you’re farther north. But that doesn’t mean we are any less over it.

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For the Eastern half of the US, this past weekend was beautiful. Summer-like temperatures swept in all the way to the Great Lakes Region.

There was a noticeable uptick in the humidity too, making it feel even more like summer. Here in East Tennessee, we ended up 3 degrees short of the 90 degree mark with dewpoints in the mid 60s – a definite early summer profile.

We’ve had a few good warm-ups so far this month but…

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…unfortunately, they’ve been overcome by the cold snaps, leaving many with a significantly below average April so far.

As is the theme this Spring, all good things come to an end. As I’ve mentioned, every warm-up so far has been followed swiftly by a cold snap, and this week is no different.

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Looking at the current temperature anomaly map, you’ll notice places that were 20+ degrees above average on Saturday are now 10 to 15 degrees below average. So, it’s on its way.

Unlike the last few cold snaps, this one won’t be as potent the farther east it travels. While the Great Lakes and the Midwest do see a significant dip in their temps, the Northeast’s cool down isn’t quite as potent, especially near the coast.

Additionally, it won’t cool as much in the south as it has in past cold snaps. Sure, a dip in temps will be noticeable, especially coming off a weekend of heat and humidity, but it won’t actually be that much below average for most.

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Unfortunately, as the cold air filters in on the back side of the cold front, lake effect snow becomes likely.

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Fortunately, the snowfall is not expected to amount to much with totals generally under 2 inches. Still, it can be disheartening to once again hear that snow is in the forecast if you’re longing for persistent warmer weather.

Is this the final cold snap before warmer weather is here to stay?

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I wouldn’t bet on it just yet. Both the EPS and GEFS have been fairly consistent in developing another trough over the Great Lakes and Northeast by the latter half of next week, though it doesn’t look as strong – for now, at least.

Warmer weather does return later this week into early next week, however, so be sure to take advantage of it!