Daylight-saving time couldn't have picked a better day to begin.

That extra hour of daylight created when clocks are turned ahead Sunday will come in the form of sunshine and near-70-degree temperatures.

AccuWeather Forecast

"It's going to be the nicest day we've seen in a long time," AccuWeather meteorologist Josh Newhard said Thursday. "It's shaping up to be really beautiful — definitely a day to spend outdoors."

On the heels of bitterly cold air that has plagued the area for most of the week, a warming pattern will move in today, bringing temperatures hovering around 55 degrees throughout the day and a mild low of 40 overnight.

And the news just keeps getting better.

Saturday will bring a mix of clouds and sunshine and a high of 62 degrees. With a nighttime low of only 45, Sunday will warm up quickly, and temperatures could flirt with the low 70s.

"There are going to be some clouds around, so it depends how much sunshine we see," Newhard said.

"If we happen to see a considerable amount, we could be nosing above the 70-degree mark."

Newhard said the springlike weather is the result of a southwesterly flow that is pushing warm air from the southern Plains and the Gulf of Mexico into the Mid-Atlantic region.

The warm air will help deflect storm systems that are expected to bring snow and ice to the Great Lakes and New England today.

While temperatures in coming days will be well above the norm for this time of year — about 48 degrees — the numbers aren't expected to break any records, Newhard said.

The record high for Saturday's date is 77, reached in 1921, and the mercury hit an impressive 81 degrees on Sunday's date in 2000.

Mild 50-degree temperatures will hang around through the beginning of next week, with Monday expected to see a high of 59.

But by the end of next week, though, Old Man Winter will rear his ugly head again, driving temps back down to daytime highs of just below freezing.

E-mail: jtodd@lnpnews.com