With spring officially just three weeks away, Americans have been warned not to pack up their winter wardrobe yet.
Spring is due to begin on March 20 but climatologist Judah Cohen told the Daily Mail that after the Northeast took a battering in recent weeks with record snow and frigid temperatures, the warmer weather may take a little longer to get here.
‘Something different is happening,’ he said. ‘There’s gonna be a polar vortex split. One piece is going to go to Asia, another piece is going to come to North America. Usually the impacts from that are delayed quite a bit.
‘It could, at least initially, bring warmer temperatures in the Eastern US, which I think will make everybody happy, given how this winter’s gone.’
However, leading into late March and April, there could then be a dip in temperature, due to the vortex split, he said.
‘It could kind of delay real, true spring,’ Cohen told the Daily Mail. ‘I think that’s something that could be a big factor and needs to be watched.’
A similar event happened last year, more commonly known as Fool’s Spring or False Spring, leaving Americans complaining of a cold start to the season.
Last weekend the East Coast was battered with a ‘snow hurricane’ that killed two, canceled 11,000 flights and left 500,000 without power. New York City was hit with more than 20 inches of snow.
Americans could see a warmer than average spring this year in parts of the US
New York City has seen a particularly cold winter this year. A man shovels snow to free his car after 20 inches blanketed the city last weekend
Climatologist Judah Cohen (pictured) predicts spring might have a slow start
However, The Farmer’s Almanac has predicted that once true spring does arrive, the region – and much of the US – will see a warmer than usual season. Cohen agrees.
The Northeast and Atlantic Corridor are expected to see temperatures three degrees above average, with a lower precipitation amount in April and May, The Almanac said.
The Southeast, Florida, and Lower Lakes regions will also see warmer weather and are predicted to see below normal rainfall.
The Ohio Valley is split between the East and the West, with the former expected to see normal amounts of precipitation, while the West will more than likely see below normal.
For those in the Deep South, temperatures are expected to be around four degrees higher than normal.
Some parts of the US will see slightly colder temperatures, such as those living along the Texas-Oklahoma border, who can expect temperatures to be around two degrees colder in the northern parts.
The area could also see a tropical storm in late May, The Almanac predicted.
Those living in the Pacific Northwest will see colder temperatures and drier weather, while those in the Pacific Southwest will see above-average temperatures and rainfall.
A worker clears snow outside the Empire Stores building in Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York this week
NOAA predicted the lower part of the US will see a warmer spring, while the Farmer’s Almanac predicted the Midwest and Northeast would as well
Those in the Pacific Northwest will see colder temperatures and drier weather
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had similar predictions.
The Midwest was estimated to have above average precipitation, while the lower portions of the West and western parts of the South would have below average.
The South and much of the West are predicted to experience above-average temperatures, while the Northern parts of North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Minnesota are predicted to have below-average temperatures, NOAA said.
Gardeners will have to keep a careful eye on the weather, as those living in the colder areas will have to plant their seeds later so as not to stress their crops and might face a slower growing period.
Those in warmer areas will see an early growth spurt, while those in drier areas may have a harder time getting their crops to establish strong roots.
As for summer, Cohen believes those in the Northeast and Great Lakes ‘might be disappointed.’
‘Spring is going to be kind of frustratingly slow to develop across the Great Lakes and Northeast,’ he told the Daily Mail.
‘People are going to say: “Oh, it’s the Spring Equinox, we should be out in shorts and T-shirts.” I’m not sure that’s going to be the case.’
Gardeners will have to keep a careful eye on the weather, as those living in the colder areas will have to plant their seeds later as to not stress their crops
Cohen also predicted summer will be ‘hot’ and ‘humid,’ although the nice weather could be slightly delayed
Last summer, the weather was cooler than normal in the Eastern part of the US and hotter in the West, he said.
But once summer does arrive, he believes it will be hot and humid.
‘I pretty much would predict a warm summer everywhere,’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘It’s hard not to just get a hot, humid summer.’