High Winds & Heavy Snow Batter The Northern U.S.

Friday's Weather Outlook

March 12, 2026 at 02:48 PM EDT

By WeatherBug's Luke Barrette

Mountain snow and valley rain continues to keep the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies wet and wintry.

Showers and periods of heavy rain continues for the much of the Pacific Northwest on Friday. Another day of over an inch of rain is possible for southwest Washington and northwest Oregon. Heavy snowfall will blanket the high terrain of the Cascades and northern Rockies in Idaho and Montana. The western half of the northern Plains including eastern Montana and northern Wyoming will receive accumulating snowfall of their own.

Early in the morning, the Upper Midwest will see a light snow event drop a few inches for northern Michigan and northern Wisconsin. In the Lower Midwest, light rain will be the predominant precipitation type with some wet snow ongoing at the beginning of the storm. As the system moves eastward it will spread light snow into the interior Northeast and New England, dropping a coating to 2 inches for many.

Much of the Mid-Atlantic will be dry with perhaps a few rain showers possible in the afternoon. The rest of the Eastern U.S. will be dry from Virginia down to the Deep South. A few thunderstorms cannot be ruled out across southern Florida, however.

Much of the south to central Western U.S. will be dry with high pressure in place. This includes the Great Basin, California, Four Corners, and Desert Southwest. Dry weather continues as well for the southern Plains and Mid-South.

Much of the high terrain of the northern Rockies and Cascades will experience 20s and 30s for highs. Similar 20s and 30s will be felt in the northern Plains, Upper Midwest, and Northeast. A mix of 40s and 50s are anticipated for the northern Mid-Atlantic, Lower Midwest, and lower elevations of the Pacific Northwest.

Fifties and 60s are in store for the Ohio Valley, southern Mid-Atlantic, eastern half of the central Plains, and Great Basin. Warming up into the 60s and 70s will be the Southeast, Mid-South, Deep South, Four Corners, and much of California. The southern Plains and Desert Southwest can anticipate 70s, 80s, and even few 90s!