Today's Weather Outlook

A potent cold front will wreak havoc on much of the U.S. today, bringing cold, winter-like weather to some areas and a stormy spring pattern to others.

This cold front will be stretched across the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. today. The eastern fringes of this cold front will inch south and east across the Eastern Seaboard and Deep South, while the western edges will remain nearly stationary over the Rockies and Front Range. A wide range of weather impacts will be found along this elongated cold front.

Rain showers will soak the Central Plains, Mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys and Northeast throughout the day. Showers and thunderstorms will likely spread to the Southern Plains, Deep South, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic in the afternoon and evening. Thunderstorms across the southern Plains and Deep South will have the potential to become strong to severe. The main threats within thunderstorms will be damaging wind gusts, large hail and a few tornadoes. Torrential downpours will also be a possibility, which could lead to localized flooding.

At the same time, snow will be in the forecast across southern Wyoming and most of Colorado throughout today. Expect moderate to heavy snow in the morning before tapering off and ending in the afternoon and evening. Some wet snow or a rain/snow mix could also occur across Utah into northern Arizona and northern New Mexico. With the potential for wet, heavy snow, be prepared for dangerous, if not impossible, travel conditions as well as downed trees and powerlines.

A new weak disturbance will transport a small amount of moisture into the northern Rockies. There will be a slight chance of rain and snow showers. Otherwise, the rest of the Western U.S., northern Plains, Great Lakes and Florida Peninsula will remain dry.

Unseasonably cold weather will dominate much of the nation for the middle of the work week. The exception will be the Northwest, Gulf Coast and southern Mid-Atlantic will experience near to above average temperatures.

The coldest temperatures are expected in the central/southern Rockies and Front Range of Colorado, with high temperatures only in the upper 20s, 30s and lower 40s. The northern half of the Plains, the Upper Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes and interior Northeast will remain chilly in the upper 30s, 40s and 50s. Sixties and 70s will cover much of the West Coast, though 80s will be scattered across the interior Northwest and Desert Southwest.

Fifties and 60s will be recorded across the Lower Midwest into southern New England, with 70s and 80s in the southern Plains, Deep South, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. A few 90s will also be seen in Florida!