Spring 2026 forecast: Winter may not go away a

Some may put their faith in Staten Island Chuck for the springtime prognostication, while others have more confidence in meteorologists.

According to those experts, it may feel like winter for quite some time in New York.

AccuWeather’s 2026 spring forecast revealed that most of New York State will experience a slower transition to spring weather conditions in the coming weeks.

In fact, the general Northeast region is among those areas of the nation expected to contend with a “seasonal tug-of-war,” the AccuWeather forecast noted.

“A slower transition to persistent spring warmth can occur from the northern Rockies to the Northeast,” AccuWeather Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said.

Pastelok added that while there could be occasional warmups, they will not persist very long before another cold wave of air arrives.

The Midwest and the northern Plains are two other regions that AccuWeather identified which may struggle with these rollercoaster conditions.

In the south, the situation may be different; spring warmth is forecast to arrive sooner, according to the forecast.

Severe weather and flooding

As for severe weather, while tornadoes may not be as great a threat as they were last year, severe thunderstorms could pose a risk to residents across much of the country.

The greatest risk for such weather will be during March and April for the Mississippi Valley and into the Gulf states. Early on, severe weather will be limited in areas further north such as the north-central Plains and Midwest, but AccuWeather expects that to change later in April and into May.

Given the anticipated weather pattern, storms are expected to travel more slowly this spring.

“Slow-moving storms could produce heavier rain at times along the Gulf Coast, especially from Alabama to northern Florida,” Pastelok said. “Severe thunderstorms in March and April can lead to flash flooding and river flooding in parts of Missouri, Kentucky, the lower Ohio Valley as was the case in 2002.”

While storms may produce flooding in some areas, melting snow could result in flooding in New England, the Northwest and parts of the Rockies, AccuWeather noted.

The central and eastern parts of upstate New York have a “moderate” risk of experiencing flooding sometime from March through May, according to AccuWeather.

While meteorological spring begins on March 1, astronomical spring officially starts on March 20 with the vernal equinox.