The wintry mix and rain that swept across the Northeast continued Monday as severe weather was expected to hit the region again later this week, forecasters say.

Most of the region saw a transition from wintry precipitation to intermittent rain as temperatures rose throughout the day Monday, according to AccuWeather.

By Monday afternoon, all National Weather Service winter weather advisories had expired for the Northeast as rain became the predominant form of precipitation.

The short warm-up phase provides a few days of calm before the next wave of storms.

“The Northeast is in for a rollercoaster weather forecast this week,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham. He warned of “the possibility of a severe storm late in the week into the weekend, which could lead to accumulating snow and very cold air.”

The good news is that rain will provide some drought relief across parts of the Northeast across the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys into the mid-Atlantic states and southern New England, AccuWeather said. The forecast also says that flash flood warnings are possible. Buckingham said a snowstorm could develop along the East Coast on Friday and Saturday.

developments:

∎ Meteorologists forecast that the weather in the Lower 48 states overall would remain mostly warmer than normal through Dec. 28, with the exception of a few colder days Dec. 21-23.

∎ Some schools in western Massachusetts and Connecticut were closed Monday, while others opened late because of the snow.

∎ It snowed in some areas as far south as Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia on Monday.

The wintry mix in the east could make travel difficult: And yes, that was a tornado in California.

Details of the weekend’s storms are not yet being released

“Slight shifts in the expected storm track will play an important role in the coming forecast,” Buckingham said. “It is worth noting that there may be an impact on leisure travelers if the storm moves close to the coast.”

After this storm, look for “very cool air” to hit the Northeast as Christmas Day approaches, he said.

There could be even worse weather on the West Coast

The Pacific Northwest, which dealt with strong storms last week including a tornado Saturday off San Francisco, could also expect a prolonged series of severe weather.

AccuWeather meteorologists warned that some areas of the Northwest Coast “will not escape waves of rain and mountain snow” over the next week or longer, as the overall weather pattern suggests more storms are likely.

Contribution: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Weather ‘roller coaster’ in Northeast; Snow closes schools