Unseasonably Cold Temperatures Will Follow Storms in the South 

Posted: March 12, 2023 1:41 pm

March will live up to its reputation of providing a yo-yo weather pattern when the most recent springlike weather is followed up by another burst of wintry conditions this week. The Southeast will see the impacts of this roller coaster weather pattern heading into the coming week. Read on for all of the details.

Storms Continue to Impact Gulf Coast and Southeast to Close Out Weekend

It was a warm end to the weekend in the Southeast thanks to an area of low pressure hovering over the Plains states on Sunday. Winds moving counterclockwise over this area continued to bring warmer temperatures into the Southeast, preventing the re-emergence of wintry weather. This mild spring weather is a direct contrast to the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic, a part of the country experiencing wintry precipitation and cold temperatures.

The warm air and energy coming into the Southeast will provide the ingredients for thunderstorm development late Sunday. The greatest threat of severe storms will be south of the Interstate 20 corridor along the Gulf Coast.

The storms will first fire up in Mississippi and eastern portions of Louisiana before tracking to the east into parts of Alabama, Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle. The storm cells will bring the chance of strong winds, hail, and heavy rain before finally dying out. You also cannot rule out the chance of a tornado or two in the most southern edges of the potential impact zone.

Looking Ahead to Monday and Tuesday

The storm system will push to the east by Monday and Tuesday with a drastic change in the weather coming in behind it. The previously mentioned area of low pressure anchored over the Plains states will migrate northward, setting the stage for a nor’easter in this corner of the country. This movement will shift the winds in a northerly direction. The change in the wind patterns will not only create enough frigid air for the nor’easter to develop but it will also send the mercury plummeting across the South.

Just how cold will it get? The city of Atlanta has been enjoying temperature readings in the 60s and 70s for the entire of March. However, this will all change at the beginning of the week when the cold air slides into the region. The temperature will tumble to a low of 34 degrees on Monday night in Atlanta with even colder readings expected in the northern suburbs by the next night.

The cold weather is forecast to infiltrate as far as Florida. The mercury has been landing about 10 degrees above normal for this time of the year across many communities in the Panhandle. This is about to change as the temperatures take a big tumble, hitting the upper 30s for overnight lows on Tuesday. This mass of cold air will stretch as far east as Jacksonville.

The cold will also be the story in cities such as Charlotte. Monday night’s lows around the freezing mark will seem balmy compared to the forecast lows in the upper 20s on Tuesday. Other areas that will see unseasonably cold temperatures include Richmond, Virginia and Washington, D.C. For example, the western and northern suburbs of the nation’s capital will see readings that drop as low as the mid 20s on Tuesday night.

This type of weather will be a significant change from what the region has been experiencing this winter. Residents will want to take the cold wave seriously and bring in pets and sensitive plants.

The good news for those ready to welcome spring is that the cold weather is not expected to stick around for a long time. The jet stream is forecast to lift by the end of the week, bringing in warmer temperatures throughout the South and beyond.

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