Astronomical Spring has arrived, but winter won't let go: "Arctic blast" from Norway and Easter in the balance.

The astronomical Spring has just begun (Friday, March 20 at 3:46 PM), but winter does not seem at all inclined to leave Italy. The coming days are expected to be a true "meteorological roller coaster", with heavy snowfall at high altitudes, widespread instability, and, by the middle of next week, the invasion of a frigid "Arctic blast" into the heart of the Mediterranean. Outlining the situation to Adnkronos is Lorenzo Tedici, media meteorologist for 'iLMeteo.it', who adds that "the first news concerns the mountains: on the Western Alps, significant accumulations are on the way, with 30-40 cm of fresh snow expected starting from 900 meters during the weekend. The trajectory of the bad weather will see the phenomena shift on Saturday from the Dolomites towards the west, with snowfall intensifying in the evening over the Western Alps, - continues Tedici - where the bad weather will be the main feature until the late morning of Sunday. The holiday will then open with rains over much of the Northwest, before giving way to a partial improvement. Instability will instead increase in the Center-South: between Lazio, Abruzzo, Molise, and much of the South, frequent afternoon showers will erupt, the most classic of spring dynamics.

"If the weekend will be marked by typical spring instability, the new week will drastically change the script. From the evening of Wednesday, March 25, a frigid maritime Arctic air mass, descending from Norway, will plunge into Italy. Exactly three months after Christmas - continues Tedici - polar currents will return capable of causing a true thermal collapse: snow expected down to 500 meters in the Center-North, stormy winds, and rough seas. In detail on Saturday the 21st in the North: worsening from the Triveneto towards the Northwest in the evening, snow in the Alps. In the Center: variable weather with predominance of sun. In the South: sunny, then increasing clouds and some isolated showers. Sunday the 22nd. In the North: disturbed in the Northwest. In the Center: variable weather with afternoon showers. In the South: unstable with widespread showers. Monday the 23rd. In the North: sunny. In the Center: variable weather. In the South: unstable with scattered showers. Trend: from the evening of Wednesday, March 25, cold air from Norway with winter weather.

The Easter Unknown. "For the Easter holidays? The situation enters the realm of "fantameteo. If the mathematical models initially indicated a cool and windy scenario, the latest analyses supported by Artificial Intelligence have reversed the trend, suggesting a warm and sunny Easter period. A drastic change of course that confirms how, beyond 10 days, the forecasts remain highly uncertain and need to be monitored."