Friday's Weather Outlook

A reoccurring theme continues for the Midwest and Plains on Friday, with another day of strong thunderstorms.

With a large disturbance moving out of the Mountain West, two low-pressure systems will bring the ingredients needed for thunderstorms from the Upper Midwest down to central Texas. A northern low-pressure system will move from the northern Plains and into the Upper Midwest, bringing thunderstorms to much of Wisconsin, Michigan, eastern Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. All severe weather hazards will be on the menu with large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes.

Light snow or a wintry mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain may occur for northwestern Minnesota and eastern North Dakota on the cold side of this low-pressure system. Accumulations are not expected to cause major travel disruptions.

A secondary southern low-pressure system will spark thunderstorms in Missouri, eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, and central to northern Texas. A dangerous environment for severe hazards and strong tornadoes may be realized in much of southern Kansas and Oklahoma. While uncertainty exists, severe weather plans need to be put in place for this region.

The cold side of the southern low-pressure system will favor accumulating snowfall for the northern to central Rockies, with even some of the lowlands getting in on the action. Snow may fall east of the Rockies as well in central to northern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming. While light accumulations are all that is anticipated, roads may become slick.

In the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, a few rain showers may drift around the areas bringing light rain totals. However, for the most part it will be dry for these two regions, while the Southeast, Ohio Valley, Mid-South, and Deep South are also dry. A couple rain showers cannot be ruled out across central and southern Florida as moisture moves westward off the Atlantic.

While it will continue to be hot and steamy for southern Texas, dry weather is anticipated. Drier and cooler air will exist for parts of the West, including the coastal Pacific Northwest, central to southern West Coast, western Great Basin, and Desert Southwest.

High temperatures in the teens and 20s will stay confined to the high terrain of the central to northern Rockies. Twenties and 30s will be in the forecast for the northern Plains, while 30s and 40s will be felt in the Great Basin and interior Pacific Northwest. The northern half of the central Plains, northern West Coast, and Four Corners will experience 40s and 50s.

Sixties and 70s will be seen in the southern half of the central Plains, Upper Midwest, Northeast, and central to southern West Coast. Warming up into the 70s and 80s will be the Desert Southwest, Lower Midwest, Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and Mid-South. Spring-time heat will continue for the southern Plains, Southeast, and Deep South with 80s and a few 90s!