Really. You'd never guess it with the bulbs popping up, tree blossoms ready to burst, and highs in the 60s forecast for mid-week. But this is springtime, and the cold air to the north and warming sunshine to the south are clashing, and we'll feel them both this week.

First, we can enjoy the sunshine today as highs edge into the 50s. Things will cloud up tonight, though, as the high pressure moves off the coast and we get into the return flow from the south. The southerly flow will bring us a chance for showers tomorrow. Forecasters say some areas up near the Pennsylvania border could still be cold enough to see snow mixing in with the showers early tomorrow.

Things will stay mild Tuesday night as an approaching warm front brings more light showers and gusty winds. The south winds could produce some minor flooding along the bay shore.

All this is prelude to what forecasters expect will be a sharp cold front late Wednesday. They're comparing it to the front that blew through with heavy rain and wind on Mar. 4-5, dropping temperatures 10 degrees and roughing things up in Carroll County.

Maryland's western mountains could see some snow showers in the wake of the front late Wednesday, followed by clearing skies and gusty winds. Thursday and Friday look sunny and seasonable. 

The forecast for late in the week includes hints from the computer models of a storm off the Pacific Ocean that will cross the continent and bring us showers by the weekend, with temperatures cold enough to mix some snow into the brew. There's also talk of a Gulf storm figuring into the weekend forecast. But it's way too early to know how all this will evolve for us.

Whether you see flakes this week or not, the snow is not far away. Here's the snow and ice cover across the continent, as of Sunday, from the National Ice Center: