Thursday's Weather Outlook

Nonstop arctic air continues to entrench itself into the Central and Eastern U.S. 

A pinwheel of the polar vortex continues to sit in southern Canada, pumping arctic air into the Eastern two-thirds of the U.S. Because of this, the lake-effect snow machine continues to crank with light to moderate totals possible for lake-effect prone locations. The snow bands off Lake Huron and Lake Ontario may provide localized heavy snow amounts. High pressure will keep things generally dry and frigid for the Northeast, Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest. 

Drenching rainfall and high elevation snowfall will be the name of the game in the Pacific Northwest. The focus of this rain will be centered on Washington, but northern Oregon and northern Idaho may see this activity as well. The first initial push of precipitation will bring snow to the high terrain of the Cascades in northern Oregon and all of Washington. However, cold air begins to leave later into the day, possibly allowing for a change over to rain. For the lower elevations, a footprint of 0.5 to 2 inches of rain can be expected for northwest Oregon and western Washington. 

In the northern Plains, rounds of snow showers will drop light snow into eastern Montana, eastern Wyoming, the Dakotas, and central to eastern Nebraska. Not much in terms of accumulation is likely, but roads whitening back up can cause travel impacts. High terrain snowfall will also be possible for the Front Range of Colorado but will end around midday with light accumulations. 

A high-pressure system continues to sit in the Southwest U.S., bringing dry weather to the central and southern West Coast, Four Corners, Great Basin, Desert Southwest, and even into the southern Plains. 

Another high-pressure system remains overtop of the Eastern U.S. with the Southeast, Deep South, Mid-South, and Gulf Coast seeing dry weather as well. 

Negatives and single digits are likely for the Upper Midwest, eastern half of the northern Plains, central Appalachian Mountains, and western interior Northeast. The Lower Midwest, western half of the northern Plains, Ohio Valley, coastal Northeast, New England, and Mid-Atlantic will feel teens and 20s. A mix of 20s and 30s are in store for the high terrain of eastern Rockies, northern Cascades, east-central Plains. Thirties and 40s will be felt western halves of the central and southern Plains, the Carolinas, Tennessee Valley, Four Corners, Great Basin, and Pacific Northwest.  

The northern to central West Coast and Mid-South can expect 40s and 50s. Fifties and 60s will be plentiful in the Deep South, southern West Coast, and southern Texas. The Desert Southwest will be much warmer than the rest of the country with 70s.