Slight Cooler Thursday, with Mild Temperatures Returning for the Weekend

Who else has loved the weather we've had the last couple of days? (Slowly raises hand). A significant improvement from the frigidly cold air we we're dealing with at this time last week. First half of the work week featured mild temperatures in the low to mid 40s. Thanks to Wednesday's cold front, the rest of the work week will end up slightly cooler, but not too far from where we've been as of late. 

While the weather remains tranquil this morning, you'll need to keep an eye out for a few things heading to your destination. The recent warmth has been lovely, but it has resulted in a lot of snow melt. In fact, we've lost 6" of snow since the beginning of the week. With temperatures rapidly falling into the teens and low 20s across the area, this could result in a few icy spots. While out on the roadways, you may encounter a little patchy fog. The combination of clear skies overhead, the lingering snowpack, and light surface winds is reducing visibility for a few. Other than that, high pressure moving in is set to bring a sun-filled start to our Thursday. 

Cloud cover to our northwest will slide into the region before mid-day, turning skies partly sunny for this afternoon. Cooler air that filtered in behind yesterday's cold front will result in slightly cooler highs across the region, with most spots topping out in the upper 30s. If you're keeping track, today's high of 38° is right on target with where we should be this late in February. 

Guidance shows cloud cover quickly giving way to mostly clear skies shortly after sunset, which will bring the potential for patchy dense fog/freezing fog by Friday morning. If you plan on heading out early tomorrow morning, allow for some extra time as fluctuations in visibility is likely. Once the fog lets up, a good portion of our Friday will feature some sunshine with highs hovering on either side of the 40° mark. Dry conditions are expected to continue, ahead of a quick moving clipper system that will bring a chance for a wintry mix heading into the first half of the weekend.

From what it looks like, the bulk of the precipitation will be in the form of rain, as temperatures for much of the night remain near the freezing mark. A few wet snowflakes may mix in from time to time, but little to no accumulations are expected. Precipitation chances should quickly wind down before sunrise Saturday morning, leaving behind a little cloud cover. Temperatures remain mild throughout the weekend, with highs topping out in the low 40s both Saturday and Sunday. Ironically enough, the only day of the next seven that features a below average high is Monday, the first day of Meteorological Spring.