A quick-moving clipper system dumped an inch or so of snow while many of you were asleep. As quickly as the snow moved in, however, we should expect it to melt.

Even before sunrise, the snow cover on many main roads had turned into a coating of water, and with temperatures rising to near 40 degrees today, even the most shaded surfaces should see significant snow melt before the day is through. While thermometers will say it’s a couple of degrees above average, it won’t quite feel like it, as winds will be gusting between 25 and 30 miles per hour for most of the day.

Overnight, mainly clear skies will drop temperatures around and below 20 degrees, with winds calming down significantly.

Temperatures won’t fully rebound during the day on Thursday, though sunshine will be the name of the game, especially around midday. Highs will be in the mid-30s, just a few ticks below average.

Mild air will really work in by Friday, where high temperatures near 50 degrees plus an abundantly sunny sky will make it feel like a spring day rather than one at the end of February. Some high clouds late overnight won’t spoil another starry period.

While we’ll start on the same note for Saturday, clouds will begin to ramp up towards the end of the day. We could see a few blow-by snow showers overnight, as a cold front passes over the Valley.

Flurries may linger into Sunday morning. Thanks to the cold front, temperatures will be well below the mild fling to end the week, as highs drop back to the mid-30s.

By Sunday night, a significant spread exists in what could come next. Looking nationally, there will be a large gradient of temperatures from north to south- essentially, locations south of us will be quite warm, while folks north of us will be quite cold. This large-scale temperature difference is a fundamental driver of low pressure, though many weather models yield significantly different outcomes. 

Where these areas of differing air masses set up will be key to steering the blossoming system. Any more specifics from this point are too early to tell. We’ll keep tracking this in the meantime.

Milder air looks to work in the Valley by the time the seven-day forecast comes to a close.