Warm weather has returned at last to the Northeast and Midwest, after months of frigid winter. In New York City today, temperatures jumped above freezing to around 48°F, while in Philadelphia the mercury was just shy of 50. According to forecasts, the warmth is set to remain for at least the next few days, melting much of the snow still remaining across the northern parts of the country. Springing: Cities across the Midwest and Northeast are warming up - and are due to stay that way for some days . Further south, in Washington, D.C., temperatures of 57°F were recorded - with the warmth set to stick around for several days. Boston was at 40 degrees Sunday afternoon - but falling temperatures through the evening could bring more snow showers to Massachusetts Bay. The city is now teetering some two inches away from breaking its all-time snowfall record of 107.6 inches, which is likely to fall if the projected snowfall takes place. However, across much of the nation snow was retreating rapidly, with more than half the area covered by snow this time a week ago now bare. Snow in retreat: The above map snows the snow coverage across the United States on Sunday, which 30.1 per cent of the nation was blanketed - a sharp drop from earlier . Last week: On Sunday March 1, 63.4 per cent of the U.S. had snow cover - more than half of which has melted . On March 1, 63.4 per cent of the contiguous United States was covered in snow, while by March 8 the figure was 30.1 per cent, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Higher temperatures have already been creeping northwards over the weekend, especially in the lower Midwest. The Weather Channel reported that Kansas City hit 70 degrees, while parts of Montana and South Dakota were in the low 60s. Warmer temperatures are due to remain at least as long as Tuesday, which will see some central areas of the United States soar to 25 degrees above their regular mid-March average. Heating up: According to AccuWeather, the above highs could strike halfway into next week . Shifting: The Weather Channel shows above how the changing jet stream will affect temperatures . Around the Great Lakes, highs above freezing point will settle in. Minneapolis and Chicago could breach 50 degrees by Tuesday in highs most recently seen as long ago as early November. According to AccuWeather forecasters, the high temperatures are linked to changes in frigid arctic air systems. They had been squatting . Alex Sosnowski, a senior meteorologist, said: 'A change in the weather pattern will turn off arctic air invasions to allow the March sun to go to work over much of the central and northeastern United States'.
New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C., are all well above freezing . Warmth is due to continue into next week, with highs breaching 60°F . Snow cover across the country has halved from 63% to 31% in a week . However, Boston could still be due more snow in the next few days .