After storm, early spring may be on the way

I've heard a lot of rumblings from those who think an early spring is pretty much out as evidenced by the extreme winter storms we've been seeing. I want to dispel that rumor right now - when such storms occur in late February and early March, it usually indicates an active jet stream which is beginning to lift northward, bringing warm moist air from the south with it. That moisture is part of what fuels these storms. In that regard, they're a very good sign for those who are anxiously awaiting springtime.

That being said, I have a feeling yesterday's monster is going to be the last true all-snow winter storm of the year for Michigan. A couple clipper systems should be arriving this week, namely one which should bring some light dusting and possibly a couple inches of accumulation to the south of the state tomorrow (and cold temperatures to the north), as well as another which could bring an inch or two on Saturday. Sunday is going to be a different story, though, as temperatures should be on the rise into the 40s pretty quickly after the storm moves off.

What comes after? I think the answer will please a lot of people.

At the beginning of February, I made the prediction that March will likely be a warm month. The first week of March is defying that prediction, but so far it looks as though the remaining weeks will embrace it. The above is a weekly climate forecast model released by NCEP which forecasts temperature anomalies (how much deviation from normal in either direction). Michigan should be looking at temperatures between 12-18 degrees above normal for this time of year. That means high temperatures in the upper 50s, low 60s... perhaps even pushing 70°. I expect the airmass that brings these temperatures to be quite moist, which means periods of rain and thunderstorms are also likely.

For more on this situation, I turn you to Mark Torregrossa. Pictures and videos from yesterday's storm (as well as last weeks) are still on the way. I'm hoping to have them ready in the coming days.