Frigid winter-like temperatures greeted more than 45 million people early Wednesday with wind chills in the 20s and 30s across parts of the Northern Plains, Midwest, Ohio Valley and Northeast.
An area of high pressure over the Northeast is funneling cold air from Canada over the region, with the winter chill also lingering across the rest of the Northern Tier.
A more seasonal warmup will begin Thursday as that high moves off the coast, which could bring conditions back into the 70s by the weekend.
Freeze Alerts were in place for more than 40 million people across the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic on Wednesday morning, marking what is expected to be the coldest point of this winter flashback.
Just when it seemed like spring was settling in, a fast-moving clipper moved across the Great Lakes and into the Northeast on Tuesday, dropping 1-3 inches of snow across Upstate New York and up to 7 inches in parts of the Green and White Mountains of New England.
A second, trailing clipper brought a shot of snow early Tuesday for parts of southern Iowa and Nebraska, with Winter Weather Advisories in effect through the morning rush.
Light snow fell across parts of Upstate New York and New England, including Syracuse, New York, Monday.
Boston saw some flakes Tuesday morning, although the ground was too warm for snow to accumulate.
This cold blast in April comes after a historic winter for many across the Northeast and Midwest, spanning cross-country storms and powerful blizzards.
From record-shattering totals to feet of snow that paralyzed the region, the relentless season has buried parts of the Northeast under repeated rounds of snowfall — some measuring in feet — leaving records shattered and communities digging out for days.
The FOX Forecast Center highlights that the interior Northeast typically sees its last measurable snow by early-mid April.
The spring temperature roller coaster will begin to climb once again, with conditions moderating Thursday with the entire Northeast reaching back into the 50s.
By Friday, temperatures will reach the mid-70s across the Mid-Atlantic, including Washington, D.C.
The warmth will expand into New York City by the weekend with highs in the 60s, and could even approach 80 degrees by the middle of next week.
New England is also expected to see conditions in the mid-70s next week as a spring pattern returns over the next ten days.
