To say that this spring has been a contrast to last year would be a severe understatement. This spring, to this point at least, has featured a much more active pattern with several storm systems progressing through the Central United States. With an active pattern to our north over Canada, the cold air has been able to hang on a bit longer, especially behind cold fronts when the northwest winds can draw in cooler air. In addition, warm fronts have had trouble pushing north through the colder marine air this season, leading to cooler days with rain and clouds before the clearing and warmer temperatures as the front passes. Much of the same can be expected this coming Easter weekend. Today will be a bright day, with plenty of sun, but winds will keep it feeling cooler than the 60 degrees it will actually be. A large trough organizing over the Central United States will stream moisture towards the region by Friday evening, with rain and showers continuing Saturday through Sunday. This will continue until a stronger storm system dives into the West coast by early next week, amplifying the trough in the west, and amplifying the ridge over us, allowing temperatures to warm. Featured image: Latest live view of New York City from EmpireCam looking south.

Today (Thursday): Partly sunny, with a high near 60. Breezy, with west winds 18 to 25 miles per hour.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low near 40. North winds 5 to 10 miles per hour.

Friday: Increasing clouds, with a chance of showers late. High near 53. East-southeast winds 5 to 10 miles per hour. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Article by John Homenuk. Written April 217st, 2011 at 10:24am. Looking for a forecast? See New York Metro Weather's Long Range Forecast for the remainder of the week and weekend, or view our Technical Forecast Discussion for the more serious weather enthusiasts. Also, check out our new Forecast Overview tab. For up to the minute details on forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts, follow us on Twitter and Facebook