Scattered Rain/Snow Showers Today

General Overview: ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN ACROSS THE NATION WITH MULTIPLE SYSTEMS BRINGING RAIN, THUNDERSTORMS, MIXED PRECIPITATION, AND POTENTIAL FREEZING RAIN TO SEVERAL REGIONS. GULF COAST STATES WILL SEE SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THROUGH MIDWEEK, WHILE THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN ROCKIES FACE MIXED PRECIPITATION. A CONCERNING FREEZING RAIN THREAT DEVELOPS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST AND TENNESSEE VALLEY BY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

EAST:  The eastern United States will experience a changing weather pattern over the next several days. Initially, high pressure will dominate across the Northeast, providing relatively quiet conditions. Further south, precipitation will begin spreading across the Southeast, with rain developing across the Gulf Coast states and snow for the Mid-Atlantic, with freezing rain mix possible for portions of Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia. By Friday, mixed precipitation will spread into the Mid-Atlantic states, while rain continues across much of the Southeast. The coastal areas will primarily see rainfall, with the freezing line setting up further inland. This weekend will see scattered light snow across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, and rain showers across portions of the Southeast. High-pressure may bring drier conditions region-wide into the early part of next week.

Temperature Anomalies:

-Days 1-3: Below normal temperatures across much of the region, particularly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, with anomalies of 3-6 degrees below average. The Southeast will see near normal to slightly below normal temperatures.

-Days 4-6: Moderating temperatures with near normal readings for most areas. The Northeast will remain slightly below normal while the Southeast trends closer to seasonal averages.

-Days 7-10: A warming trend develops with temperatures returning to near normal or slightly above normal for most of the region by the end of the period.

CENTRAL:  Initially, high pressure will bring generally quiet conditions across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, while low pressure systems affect the Southern Plains and Gulf Coast. Rain and thunderstorms will develop across eastern Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, with some locally heavy rainfall possible. Precipitation will spread northeastward through today, with mixed precipitation possible across portions of Arkansas and Missouri. The weekend will bring improving conditions as high pressure builds across much of the region, although wintry weather may develop at times for the Central Plains/Midwest. A similar pattern will be seen for the early part of next week.

Temperature Anomalies:

-Days 1-3: Significantly below normal temperatures across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, with anomalies of 6-12 degrees below average. The Southern Plains will see near normal temperatures.

-Days 4-6: Continued below normal temperatures across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, gradually moderating. The Southern Plains will trend toward normal or slightly above normal temperatures.

-Days 7-10: A warming trend develops across the entire region, with temperatures returning to near normal or slightly above normal for most areas by the end of the period.

WEST:  The western United States will experience an active weather pattern with multiple systems affecting the region. The Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies will see waves of precipitation through the remainder of the week and this weekend, with rain at lower elevations and snow at higher elevations. The Southwest will remain relatively dry through to early next week, although precipitation chances will linger today. 

Temperature Anomalies:

-Days 1-3: Near to slightly below normal temperatures across the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies. The Southwest will see slightly above normal temperatures, particularly across Arizona and New Mexico.

-Days 4-6: A warming trend develops across much of the West, with above normal temperatures spreading across the Southwest, Great Basin, and into the Rockies. Anomalies of 3-6 degrees above normal will be common.

-Days 7-10: Continued above normal temperatures across most of the West, with the warmest anomalies (6-10 degrees above normal) focused on the Great Basin, Rockies, and Southwest. The Pacific Northwest will see more moderate temperature anomalies.