Storms Favoring the Northern and Eastern US This Week

Last Thursday into Friday, a band of heavy snow fell across Iowa and southern Wisconsin, with some areas of northeast Iowa seeing over 10 inches of snow. Conditions remained dry over the weekend, but temperatures cooled off with lows getting into the single digits and teens for some. A brief warm up is expected throughout the region Thursday and Friday before another round of cold temperatures arrives over the weekend. In addition to the fluctuating temperatures, a few clipper systems will graze the Midwest this week. The first clipper will tag northern areas Tuesday with the second clipper tracking farther south and impacting parts of Iowa and Illinois Wednesday into Thursday. An additional storm is possible this weekend, but the exact track and precipitation amounts remain highly uncertain.

Relatively quiet conditions extended throughout the Northern Plains this past weekend, but cooler temperatures spread across the region. Low temperatures dipped below zero degrees Fahrenheit both Saturday and Sunday morning. Temperatures may trend warmer across South Dakota and eastern Wyoming this week but remain cooler to the north. Clipper systems from the West and Canadian Prairies will keep the temperatures below average, but any precipitation is expected to remain relatively light. By this weekend, low temperatures will be subzero in some spots and below-average temperatures could continue into the first week of March. Rounds of snow could also pass through the region this weekend with moderate amounts possible across the Dakotas.

Last Friday some light snow tagged Kansas, but the Central and Southern Plains have had relatively dry conditions lately. This week, the northern storm track will mainly provide isolated showers to the Central Plains while the Southern Plains could miss out on most of the rain. As wheat comes out of dormancy in Oklahoma and Texas, it could use more rain. Through the first week of March, cooler temperatures from the Northern Plains will sag south and near-freezing temperatures are possible as far south as central Kansas early next week. Precipitation could start picking up across the Southern Plains next week, but much more rainfall will be needed to start reversing the increasing drought.

Much like the Southern Plains, the Mississippi Delta has been dealing with dry conditions and low water levels along the Mississippi. While there has been some improvement in water levels, most of this is due to snow melting and precipitation across the North. This week, a cold front will move through on Thursday, and parts of Mississippi could see over one inch of rain, but the heaviest precipitation will likely stay east of the Delta. Shower chances look spotty into early March as well and water levels may only get a boost from snow melt and precipitation in the North. After some cooler temperatures on Monday, temperatures will trend above average later this week. The cold shot to the north may not impact the Delta next week with an upper-air ridge across the area, keeping the cold to the north.

Over the weekend, scattered showers hit Alabama and Georgia. Rainfall totals approached 0.75-1 inch across the southern half of these states while northern areas remained drier. Low temperatures also took a dive below normal early this week, bottoming out in the mid-20s to low 30s for a significant portion of the Southeast Monday morning. After Tuesday, temperatures will start trending warmer. A cold front will sweep across the region Thursday into Friday, providing scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. Rainfall totals will exceed 1-1.5 inches for some areas. After that front clears, drier conditions will return for the upcoming weekend.

Heavy rain and mountain snow hit the Pacific Northwest and northern California this past weekend and the wet pattern is expected to continue into Wednesday across these areas. By Wednesday, rainfall totals in northern California and southwest Oregon could approach 3-4 inches. Conditions turn quieter across the Southwest this week as an upper-air ridge extends throughout the area, leading to storms tracking to the north. The next storm system to impact the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies will take place Friday through Sunday. Additionally, temperatures will remain above average in the Southwest, trending closer to average or below average in the Northern Rockies.

Teresa Wells can be reached at teresa.wells@dtn.com