We've had our fair share of snow over the last few weeks. In fact, many areas saw above-average snowfall for the month of December. But now it's time to start melting down and de-icing across the eastern United States.

This meltdown will only last so long however, because last year this winter is not. We're only looking at a 5 to 7 day thaw before winter returns. And it could return in a big way.

There's been what's called a stratospheric warming event at the North Pole. In a nutshell, the warming displaces the very cold air at the pole and starts to move it around the globe. It often ends up in North America and Northern Europe. Further warming could force the polar vortex (core of the coldest air) to move in our direction with time.

What will happen next week is a series of cold fronts will press through the state. Each one will bring progressively colder air. So we'll start the week with a high near 50 on Sunday, and may not get out of the teens by Saturday. If we put some snow back down later next week, it will get very chilly heading into next weekend (the 19th). Lake effect snow would also become a strong possibility by then.

Now if we see another warming event and a dislodging of the polar vortex over the next week or so, some brutally cold air could follow in about two weeks thereafter. An outbreak that would mean below zero lows and single digit highs. So that's something I'll be watching closely over the next 5 to 7 days. Even without the additional warming events, we're going to turn much colder for the second half of the month. And we'll experience the coldest weather of the season to date.

So winter's not over yet. We'll turn colder and snowier during the second half of the month, and potentially much colder by the end of the month. Good news for the snow lovers and those who profit from winter weather. For everyone else, March is less than 8 weeks away!