According to recent meteorological forecasts, the eastern United States is preparing for an extended period of cool weather, delaying the arrival of spring warmth. AccuWeather meteorologist Renee Duff notes that a large-scale weather pattern will confine warmer air masses to the western half of the country through late March, extending cool and wet conditions across the eastern states into early April. Concurrently, the interior Southwest is expected to remain unseasonably warm and dry.