A November Reality Check Of Colder Air, First Snows Expected In Parts Of Central, Eastern US

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A weather pattern change this week is bringing conditions more typical of November to the central and eastern U.S., including colder air, possible season's first snowfalls and much-needed rain to the Northeast.

Colder, finally: It hasn't felt like winter is around the corner in the South recently. Instead, the region saw its warmest first two weeks of any November on record for dozens of cities from Texas to Florida to the southern Appalachians, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center.

And that's where the coming reality check will be felt most.

This colder air should arrive in the Plains around Wednesday, then quickly spill over the rest of the South, lower Midwest and East Thursday. It will likely hang in through the weekend.

We have some sample forecast low temperatures in the map below. Lows in the 30s and 40s will be common in the South. Even Florida may have some chilly mornings in the 40s and 50s. Meanwhile, highs in the 40s and a few 30s will be the rule in the Midwest and interior Northeast.

MAPS:

Late-week storm = season's first flakes? The week has begun with a windy storm bringing rain and gusty winds to the central and southern U.S. However, snowfall from this system has been limited to North Dakota for the most part.

Right on its heels another potent storm is expected to develop near the Great Lakes and Northeast beginning late Wednesday.

And this more powerful storm could sit and spin through Friday or Saturday, with strong winds, raw, cold air, rain, and even some wet snow. It's the type of storm we meteorologists have seen before in November .

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Light accumulations of wet snow showers are possible in parts of the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and interior Northeast later in the week, particularly in the Adirondacks, Appalachians and Catskills.

For some, this system could produce the first slushy accumulations of the season, mainly on grassy and elevated surfaces. Chicago, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are some of the cities that might see minor accumulations.

And as this second stronger storm sits for a while, it could eventually turn on the lake-effect snow and rain machine in parts of the Great Lakes Friday into the weekend.

MORE: Is A Snowless East Unusual This Time Of Year?

Northeast rain outlook: Given recent wildfires and the flash drought during one of the driest autumns on record, the Northeast's Interstate 95 corridor is in desperate need of a soaking.

The second storm could bring at least a period of soaking rain from Maine to Maryland beginning Wednesday night, possibly the most rain they've seen in a couple of months.

Why the pattern change: The short answer is the wind flow in the atmosphere is becoming temporarily clogged.

A bubble of high pressure aloft known as the Greenland block is acting as a temporary roadblock, forcing a deep low-pressure system to become stuck in place over the East.

That's the reason the second storm system and the cold air may last several days in the East.