Weekend Weather Preview

A busy week of weather will continue into the weekend as a one-two punch of weather systems impact the nation. Bitter cold, Arctic air also has no plans on departing the U.S.

Saturday
One weather system will move out of the Eastern U.S. into the Atlantic Ocean for the start of the weekend. Most of the precipitation associated with this system will occur early in the day. However, some moisture on the northern fringes of the storm will continue to be funneled into the Northeast throughout the day.

Light snow will fall across the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast in the morning. Directly south of the snow, expect a thin ribbon of sleet and freezing rain for parts of northern South Carolina and eastern North Carolina. Rain will be the main precipitation type for the rest of the Southeast. For the afternoon and evening, expect occasional flurries or very light snow showers across the entire Northeast.

Meanwhile, a large storm system will dominate the western half of the nation. Precipitation will be most likely for the Rockies into the northern half of the Plains and the Upper Mississippi Valley. Here, most areas will see light to moderate snow throughout Saturday. A rain/snow mix is possible though across the central Plains. There could also be some lingering moisture over the Northwest, which could create rain and mountain snow.

Several areas will remain dry under high pressure. This includes California, the Great Basin and Southwest into the southern Plains and most of the Midwest.

Highs in the 20s and 30s will be most common throughout the U.S. to start the weekend. Though, teens will be possible for the highest peaks in the Rockies along with a few spots in the Upper Great Lakes and interior Northeast. Forties and 50s are expected for the Pacific Northwest and from the southern Plains into the Deep South and Southeast. California and the Desert Southwest will see mainly 50s and 60s, with 60s and 70s for the Florida Peninsula.
 
Sunday
The main weather system impacting the western half of the U.S. on Saturday will drift east Sunday. Light snow showers will continue across the Rockies and northern Plains for most of the day. There will be a better chance for light to moderate snow in the Upper Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes, mainly during the afternoon and evening.

Southerly winds associated with this large storm system could also start to funnel some moisture from the Gulf of Mexico northward. Rain showers could be found along the western and central Gulf Coast as a result. The best chance would occur in the afternoon and evening.

Otherwise, two expansive areas of high pressure will control the weather along both coasts. Dry weather is expected for areas west of the Rockies as well as the entire Eastern Seaboard.

High temperatures will occur early in the day across the northern Plains. Temperatures during the morning will be in the teens and 20s, which will drop to single digits or even below zero by the afternoon. The rest of the U.S. will mainly see temperatures peak in the 20s and 30s during the afternoon. The tallest peaks in the Rockies could once again only see highs in the teens. Expect 40s and 50s for the Northwest and most of California as well as parts of the southern Plains, Deep South and Southeast. The Desert Southwest, far southern Texas and the Florida Peninsula will see the mercury climb into the 60s and 70s.