By Alyssa Glenny, AccuWeather Meteorologist
While the first significant push of rain, snow and ice was predicted to continue to advance eastward across the nation through late last week, a secondary round of active weather was expected to follow in quick succession over the weekend—with more storms expected into mid-February.
The recent stormy weather pattern had been expected to ramp up across the central/eastern United States last week, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
AccuWeather’s team of long-range forecasters has been hinting about a stormy first half of February since last September but also notes that there is potential for the active pattern to persist beyond midmonth.
“The storm this weekend is just the next in a series of storms that is part of the pattern change that began late last week,” stated AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Joe Lundberg.
Lundberg added that the persistent cold that gripped much of the country throughout January as well as a storm that produced unprecedented snow to parts of the Gulf Coast with a suppressed storm track, is now more centered across western and central Canada into the northern Rockies and northern Plains.
“Each time a storm moves through the pattern, a piece of Arctic air is drawn south and east, only for the next storm in the pattern to come along. As warmer air tries to move the low-level cold out of the way, it leads to snow, ice, and rain,” explained Lundberg.
Forecasters noted that looking into the this week, another winter storm could develop across the Central and Eastern states.
“From late Monday into Wednesday, a storm will originate in Texas and move to the mid-Atlantic coast, with a larger swath of snow and ice to the north of its path, and the potential of heavy rain and severe weather across the South into the Southeast,” warned Lundberg.
February Brings Longer Days, Shorter Nights
By Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist and senior content editor
Wintery weather still has a strong foothold across North America in February, a month that can often feature winter storms and waves of Arctic air. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel for folks looking forward to the longer, warmer days of spring and summer.
Since the December solstice, the amount of sunlight has been increasing each day. Initially, this change was slow, adding just a few seconds per day. However, in February, the increase rapidly accelerates. Areas farther north, closer to the poles, experience a more dramatic shift in the annual balance between daylight and night. In contrast, places nearer the equator see a more subtle change.
In New York City, the amount of sunlight increases by more than two minutes each day. By February 28, the sun is above the horizon for 67 minutes longer than it was on February 1. In comparison, Miami, which is much closer to the equator, sees an increase of only 37 minutes of sunlight throughout the month.
While the days are getting longer, the nights are starting to shrink, resulting in earlier sunrises, later sunsets, and less time for stargazing.
When does daylight saving time start in 2025? Clocks will spring ahead one hour on March 9, as daylight saving time begins across most of the United States. The shift will result in later sunrises and sunsets, which can benefit outdoor businesses that rely on daylight, such as golf courses, in the summer months.
