Weather Permitting: Spring almost here in Fayetteville area, so naturally a freeze is coming

Here's proof that Nature sometimes has a wicked sense of irony:

Spring officially begins on Tuesday. So, naturally, portions of the Cape Fear region will wake up to a plant-killing freeze. 

A high pressure system with roots in northern Canada will swoop into the Carolinas overnight, dropping temperatures in our western and northern region into the upp 20s by Tuesday morning. Fayetteville, which saw its Monday high temperature (66) just after midnight, should dodge a freeze, but you'll want to cover any young plants ... just in case.

It's all part of a seasonal shift over the Carolinas. After back-to-back 80-degrees days last weekend, Fayetteville won't see the high side of 70 this week -- except for Wednesday, when warm air will try to return to the region.

It's a little complicated, so let's get started.

Here's the setup: A weak frontal boundary slipped through Fayettevlle early this morning, cooling things a bit and swinging winds around to the west-northwest. 

A larger change comes this evening. Strong polar air is pushing south overnight, arriving in the Cape Fear region after midnight. Northwest winds will be blowing too hard for frost to be a concern, but areas in the northern and western region will likely see pre-dawn temperatures below freezing.

Temperatures Tuesday, in the upper 50s, won't be that far off mid-March norms. But we've been so warm (Fayetteville is running about 8 degrees above normal for March) that it's going to feel chilly.

One good thing is that this air mass is fast-moving. By Tuesday night it should be offshore, easing concerns for a second night of freezing. Fayetteville should hold at about 40, and the northern region could scrape by in the mid-30s. Agricultural interests will want to stay tuned.

By Wednesday, we'll have a brief respite. A southerly flow will push temperature back into the 70s with lows in the mid- to upper 40s. However, another front will slide through by daybreak Thursday, pushing highs back into the seasonal low 60s.

The weekend: Friday is looking iffy. Low pressure will be working its way east, arriving in the Carolinas sometime Friday. Ahead of the low winds will swing around to the northeast and clouds will build. As of now it looks like showers will arrive after lunch, perhaps earlier, and continue through the afternoon.

This setup screams cold air damming on Saturday, but just how strong remains uncertain. For now, the CAD appears confined to the upper Piedmont, giving us some cloudy skies and a high in the mid-60s. Sunday looks calmer, perhaps a bit cooler for the region.

Keep a sweater handy for Tuesday!

Got a weather question? Chick Jacobs can be reached at ncweatherhound@gmail.com orNCWeatherhoundon Twitter.