After a bit of rain Tuesday, the mercury is going to keep rising following a long-awaited warm-up for the tri-state.
Temperatures were starting off in the low 40s early Tuesday morning in the city and will rise to the low 50s during the day. Some surrounding areas saw temperatures in the 20s during the early morning hours.
Thickening clouds will make for a mostly cloudy day and showers will roll in after 3 p.m. Expect a foggy night with lows dipping back down to the low 40s.
The tri-state will then get another hint of spring Wednesday, with above-average highs near 60. From there, temperatures are expected to sink somewhat -- with highs of 48 on Thursday, 45 on Friday and 44 on Saturday.
The warm-up began Monday as temperatures reached the high 50s. Parts of inland and central New Jersey saw freezing rain and the stray flurry Monday morning as a wet weather system moved through the region, but the clouds broke before noon, making way for sunshine and a light breeze.
The warmer weather arrived less than two weeks before the first day of spring, which is March 20, and just as residents adjusted their clocks and welcomed an extra hour of sunlight into their evenings.
All this relative warmth follows a relentless string of snowstorms and icy weather over the past two months. The city Department of Sanitation says it has called 22 snow alerts so far this winter and handled three storms last week alone.
Local
According to Storm Team 4, 42.5 inches of snow have fallen in Central Park this season, nearly double the average 22.3 inches that fall each winter. Last year, 57.4 inches were recorded in the park.
