Weekend Weather Preview

Although scattered rain and snow showers will salt and pepper the Northwest this weekend, the nation will focus on persistent rounds of severe weather badgering the Central U.S.

Saturday
Saturday's culprit for the disturbed weather plaguing a windy Texas up through the Ohio Valley will be a stalled frontal system, allowing energetic Gulf air to continue to funnel in and fuel the day's severe storms. Expect the severe threats to largely keep to hail and damaging winds, but precipitous rain totals converging from the Mid-South through the Lower Midwest. 

As such, dangerous flooding conditions for the second day in a row will occur. Remember, "Turn Around, Don't Drown!" Lighter showers and less intense thunderstorms will also launch along the stalled front into the Northeast, moistening grounds on Easter Eve's evening all while the Southeast enjoys fine egg-hiding conditions.

Further west, as frigid air begins to take its leave, so will the Southwest's snow and rainstorms. Expect these showers to largely wither away by the afternoon. Additionally, potential exists for weak afternoon rain and snow showers toward the far Northwest of the nation, all while the northern Plains turn to a pleasant, dry warmth.

Overall, the increased solar heating as we stumble slowly toward the summer solstice is making an impact on temperatures nationwide. Heated highs in the 70s and 80s fall over southern California, the Desert Southwest, the Gulf Coast, the South, and the Mid-Atlantic, while isolated 90s will appear in locales of Florida and South Texas. Pleasant 50s and 60s will sweep across the Pacific Northwest, the Intermountain West, the lower Great Plains, the Great Lakes, and the interior Northeast.

Cool 30s and 40s bring a brisk air to the northern Great Lakes and Rocky mid-elevations, but the real spring chill revisits the central Front Range, holding into the 20s at their highest slopes.

Sunday
A strengthening low pressure system will curve from the central Plains into the Midwest on Sunday. A warm front associated with the low pressure will hover over the Midwest in the morning, before lifting over the Great Lakes. There will also be a cold front that slices through the south-central U.S.

Rain and thunderstorms will be found throughout the Midwest for the entire day. However, the best chance would be in the afternoon and evening. The central and southern Plains along with the Lower Mississippi Valley will also likely see rain and storms throughout the day, but the greatest chance will occur in the morning and early afternoon. By late afternoon and evening, the Great Lakes will also likely be seeing rain and thunderstorms.

There will be the potential for severe weather within thunderstorms on Sunday from the southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley into the Midwest and possibly the Great Lakes. Be prepared for damaging winds, large hail and perhaps a few tornadoes. Torrential downpours will also be possible, which could lead to flooding in some areas. 

Meanwhile, there will be a new storm system barreling across the Northwest for the conclusion of the weekend. Throughout Sunday, a cold front will march through the Northwest, northern Rockies and Plains and the Great Basin.

Precipitation will become increasingly likely from west-to-east as a result. Rain will be the predominant precipitation type for most areas. The exception will be the tallest peaks in the Cascades along the higher elevations of the Rockies in Idaho, western Montana and northwestern Wyoming. In these areas you can expect wet snow with some areas experiencing rain mixing in at times.

The coldest temperatures will occur in the Cascades and Rockies as well as the interior Northeast. Temperatures will generally peak in the 30s and 40s, but some isolated 20s cannot be ruled out! Upper 40s, 50s and lower 60s are likely for the rest of the Northwest, Great Basin and northern half of the Plains into the Great Lakes and the rest of the Northeast. Seventies and 80s are in store for California and most of the Desert Southwest into the southern Plains, Midwest, Deep South, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. A few spots in Florida could see the mercury reach the 90s.