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Spring snow: New York temperatures drop 36 degrees in 11 days

Posted at 6:30 AM, Mar 21, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-21 06:30:55-04

(CNN) — Earlier this month, temperatures in New York’s Central Park nearly hit 80 degrees.

But on the first day of spring, it was probably best to leave the shorts at home: Temperatures were in the 40s, according to CNN Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri.

Spring officially started at 12:30 a.m. ET Sunday, but that’s not much comfort to those in the Northeast who were treated to some flurries late Sunday and early Monday.

New Yorkers shouldn’t expect a ton of snow though — it’ll most likely just be a slight nuisance more than anything, according to CNN Meteorologist Judson Jones.

Boston will likely get more, but it won’t be “crippling,” Jones said. But Cape Cod is expected to get hit pretty hard and could get up to 10 inches of snow.

This will be a heavy, wet snow that creates hazardous driving conditions in the morning and afternoon commutes, CNN Meteorologist Michael Guy said.

In anticipation of problems, Boston Public Schools will be closed Monday, mostly because of the timing of the snowfall, according to the district’s website. Public schools in Providence, Rhode Island, also canceled classes Monday, system spokeswoman Doris De Los Santos told CNN in a Sunday email.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio urged “New Yorkers to allow for extra travel time, drive slowly and exercise caution when walking or biking.”

Philadelphia should see one inch through Monday, with possibly two to four inches of accumulation along the Jersey shore.

The snow comes courtesy of a low pressure system moving up the East Coast. The National Weather Service issued a storm warning which remains in effect for the area from 7 p.m. Sunday to 11 a.m. Monday.

Weather predictions for the Northeast shifted over the past few days because different computer models produced slightly different forecasts, Guy said.

The good news? The snow should melt quickly, Guy said.

Temperatures are going to make a quick rebound from this burst of winterlike weather, with temperatures reaching the lower 50s for Boston by Wednesday and the 60s for New York.

Guy said there may not be much accumulation on New York City area roads because of recent high temperatures.

“There could be issues on overpasses, which I am sure will be treated by the DOT,” he said. “Roadways toward the eastern portions of Long Island are expected to be more hazardous due to more snowfall expected in those areas out toward Montauk, which could see up to eight inches of snow.”

Newark and LaGuardia airports probably will not experience the delays of JFK, which will see more snow accumulations, he said. Delays are still expected because of poor visibility and poor conditions.