AccuWeather.com reports the Eastern part of the country will experience drastic changes this weekend from snow and frigid temperatures to a spring-like thaw as warm air creeps northward.

The Midwest and parts of the Northeast experienced lake-effect snow on Wednesday as cold winds blew across the Great Lakes. The snowstorms that pounded New England over the holiday week have led to the snowiest December in New Hampshire in over a century. The cold air spilled southward and brought freezing temperatures to parts of the Gulf Coast and Florida on Wednesday night. Key West, Fla., was only 3 degrees away from their all-time coldest temperature which was 43 on January 28, 1940. Many farmers had to cover vegetation in order to protect them due to the cold temperatures.

The extreme cold shot will be erased by the weekend. The jet stream will retreat into Canada while the area of high pressure responsible for the bitterly cold air shifts to the east. That will allow a circulation of warm air around the high to spread from west to east. Temperatures by the weekend will be above normal for early January and highs next week will feel like spring.

Temperature highs for the Atlanta area:  52 on Friday, 56 on Saturday, and 62 on Sunday.

Source: www.AccuWeather.com