WEEKEND WEATHER: Milder Temps, Lots of Rain On the Way

Is the brunt of the snow finally behind us? We'll have one more nice day here in the Hudson Valley Friday, as mostly sunny skies and  temperatures in the 40s should help melt away more of this heavy snowpack. The nice weather won't last long however, as clouds and the chance for snow showers will return by Friday night. How much snow are we looking at? Hudson Valley Weather says we should anywhere from just a coating, to up to 3 inches in the higher elevations in the Catskills.

Highs Friday afternoon will stay in the 40s. Lows overnight will be in the 20s. Saturday will start off with the chance for snow showers in the morning, and rain by afternoon. The rain is expected to stick around until the middle of the afternoon, and could be heavy at times. We'll get a brief break Saturday night, as skies will remain mostly cloudy, and lows will hang around 30 degrees.

For Sunday, more rain. Highs will climb to the mid 40s, as clouds and rain showers will move back into the area by the afternoon. Lows will fall into the lower 30s Sunday night. Milder weather will start off the week Monday, as highs should climb to about 50.

Long range forecasts are calling for milder weather for the first week of March, but the snow and cold aren't gone just yet. The Hudson Valley's spring weather forecast says it could take a while to really warm up. AccuWeather is calling for below average temperatures in the Northeast to stick around through March and into at least early April. Meteorologists also say there's a possibility for a continued pattern of snow storms through at least late March. Don't put away the winter clothes just yet.

But that could just be the beginning? Some meteorologists believe all the winter weather we've experienced in February may actually be setting up an active severe weather season by later into the spring. A late start to spring-like weather could mean an increased chance for severe thunderstorms, and even tornadoes, by later in the season before. One of the reasons is La Niña. The bitter cold we're seeing across most areas of the nation will eventually clash with warmer and more humid air moving up from the south. AccuWeather says by May the jet stream will move further and further north, as high pressure builds over the center of the country. This is where strong cold fronts and severe weather form in the spring time and then move east. AccuWeather says that areas of the Northeast could be a target for severe weather by then, as the storms gain strength when they move into areas of clashing air masses.