Near to Slightly Below Average Temperatures Today

**General Overview:**

AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL PERSIST ACROSS MUCH OF THE UNITED STATES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AS A SERIES OF FRONTAL SYSTEMS AND LOW PRESSURE CENTERS DRIVE WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION AND STORM CHANCES. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT WEATHER THREAT WILL BE THUNDERSTORMS — INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS — ACROSS A BROAD SWATH FROM THE CENTRAL PLAINS THROUGH THE SOUTH CENTRAL REGION AND INTO THE SOUTHEAST AND GULF COAST. A POTENT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TRACKING THROUGH THE INTERIOR WEST AND CENTRAL REGIONS WILL FUEL THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ACROSS THE PLAINS AND MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. MEANWHILE, RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO AFFECT THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND PORTIONS OF THE INTERIOR WEST. TEMPERATURES WILL RUN WELL ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL REGION AND NORTHERN PLAINS THROUGH MUCH OF THE PERIOD, WHILE BELOW-NORMAL TEMPERATURES PERSIST ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST AND PORTIONS OF THE INTERIOR WEST EARLY IN THE PERIOD.

—

**EAST:** A low pressure system situated near the Northeast coast on Friday evening will bring rain to much of the region, with precipitation extending from northern New England southward along the Mid-Atlantic coastline. A cold front extending from this coastal low will help delineate the precipitation boundary, with rain affecting coastal areas while drier conditions prevail farther inland across the interior Southeast. By Saturday, the low shifts offshore and a high pressure system builds over the Great Lakes, bringing a gradual drying trend to much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. However, rain and thunderstorm activity will persist across the Southeast and Gulf Coast through the weekend as moisture continues to stream northward ahead of a warm front lifting through the region. By Sunday evening, high pressure dominates the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, while rain and thunderstorms remain focused across the Southeast and along the Gulf Coast. As the period progresses into Monday, a new low pressure system develops near the Gulf Coast with an associated cold front, and rain and thunderstorm activity expands northward across the Southeast. Meanwhile, low pressure systems near the Northeast coast bring a return of rain to New England and the northern Mid-Atlantic, with the potential for lingering precipitation through early next week. The overall pattern keeps the Southeast and Gulf Coast in an active, unsettled regime throughout the period.

**Temperature Anomalies:**

– Days 1-3: Temperatures across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic will run slightly above normal, generally in the +3 to +6°F range. The Southeast and Gulf Coast will be near to slightly above normal. Northern New England may see slight below-normal departures by Day 3.

– Days 4-6: Above-normal temperatures continue across portions of the Northeast, though anomalies moderate somewhat. The Mid-Atlantic and Southeast trend toward near-normal or slightly below-normal readings, particularly along the immediate coastline. Northern New England sees below-normal departures of around 3 to 6°F.

– Days 7-10: A notable below-normal temperature signal develops across the Southeast and portions of the Mid-Atlantic, with anomalies running 3 to 6°F below normal in some areas. The Northeast gradually warms back toward or slightly above normal by the end of the period.

—

**CENTRAL:** This region will be the most active weather zone over the coming days. On Friday evening, a low pressure system over the Central Plains is accompanied by a cold front extending southward into the South Central region, with widespread thunderstorm activity — including the threat for severe thunderstorms — covering a large area from the Central and Southern Plains through the Mississippi Valley, the Gulf Coast states, and into the Southeast. This severe weather threat is a primary concern heading into the weekend. By Saturday, a low pressure system over the Northern Plains and a warm front extending across the Central Plains continue to fuel thunderstorm activity across a broad corridor from the Central Plains southward through the South Central region. Mixed precipitation is noted in portions of the Central Rockies and High Plains, where the transition zone between rain and snow could produce some wintry weather at higher elevations. Thunderstorms remain widespread across the South Central states and Mississippi Valley through Saturday and into Sunday, with the threat for heavy rainfall a concern given the persistent, moisture-rich environment. By Sunday evening, a low pressure center over the Central Plains with an associated cold front and warm front continues to support thunderstorm activity from the Central Plains southward through the Gulf Coast. This active pattern persists into Monday, with thunderstorms continuing across the South Central region and Gulf Coast as a low pressure system tracks along the coast. The Central and Northern Plains will see a gradual transition to drier conditions by early next week as the frontal systems push eastward.

**Temperature Anomalies:**

– Days 1-3: Temperatures across the Northern Plains and North Central region will be dramatically above normal, with anomalies of +9 to +15°F or more, particularly over the Dakotas and Nebraska corridor. The Central and Southern Plains will be near to slightly above normal. Portions of the South Central region will be near normal.

– Days 4-6: The well-above-normal temperature signal over the Northern Plains and North Central region persists, though anomalies moderate slightly to the +6 to +12°F range. The Central Plains trend toward near-normal readings, while the South Central region remains close to normal.

– Days 7-10: Above-normal temperatures gradually spread more broadly across the Central region, with the Northern Plains and North Central states still running 3 to 6°F above normal. The South Central region begins to see below-normal temperature anomalies develop, particularly across the southern portions, with departures of 3 to 6°F below normal by the end of the period.

—

**WEST:** An active pattern will affect the Pacific Northwest and portions of the Interior West through the period. On Friday evening, a cold front sweeping through the Pacific Northwest will bring rain to the region, with snow possible at higher elevations across the Northern Rockies and Cascades. A low pressure system over the northern Intermountain West will drive precipitation across portions of the Northern Rockies and into the Northern Plains. Severe thunderstorm potential is noted across portions of the Pacific Northwest and northern Intermountain West on Thursday and Friday, adding to the hazard profile for the region. By Saturday, the low pressure center shifts into the Northern Plains, and rain and thunderstorm activity continues across the Pacific Northwest and portions of the Northern Rockies and Intermountain West, with mixed precipitation possible in some of the higher terrain. The Southwest remains largely dry through much of the period, though isolated precipitation chances exist across the higher terrain. By Sunday, a warm front lifting through the Northern Rockies continues to produce rain and some snow at the highest elevations, while the rest of the West gradually dries out behind the departing frontal system. The Pacific Northwest will see lingering rain through the weekend before conditions improve into early next week.

**Temperature Anomalies:**

– Days 1-3: Temperatures across the Pacific Northwest and northern Intermountain West will run above normal, with anomalies of +3 to +6°F. The Southwest and Great Basin will be notably below normal, with departures of -6 to -9°F in some areas, particularly across Nevada, Utah, and into southern California.

– Days 4-6: Below-normal temperatures across the Southwest and Great Basin begin to moderate, with anomalies easing to the -3 to -6°F range. The Pacific Northwest and northern Intermountain West remain near to slightly above normal. The overall temperature pattern becomes less anomalous across much of the West.

– Days 7-10: A warming trend takes hold across much of the West, with above-normal temperatures spreading across the Pacific Northwest, Intermountain West, and Southwest. Anomalies of +3 to +9°F are expected across portions of the Great Basin, California, and the Southwest by the end of the period, signaling a significant warm-up heading into early June.

—

**TROPICAL:** The Atlantic and Eastern Pacific basins are both quiet at this time. No tropical cyclone activity is expected across either basin during the next seven days, and no areas of disturbed weather are currently being monitored for development. Conditions remain unfavorable for tropical cyclone formation in both basins through the near-term forecast period.