Weekend Weather Preview

Mother Nature is coming alive for the last few days of April and will deliver plenty of soggy, unsettled weather to the U.S. this weekend.

Saturday

One low pressure system will drift from the north-central U.S. into Ontario on Saturday. This will drag a cold front through the Great Lakes and Midwest. Meanwhile, a second area of low pressure will be strengthening over the southern Plains.

Rain showers and thunderstorms will be found from the Great Lakes, Upper Mississippi Valley and Midwest into the central and southern Plains as a result. While rain and storms could occur early in the day, the best chance would occur in the afternoon and evening. Any thunderstorms that develop here will have the potential to be strong to severe. The threats within thunderstorms would be destructive winds, large hail and a few strong tornadoes.

As if that wasn’t enough, slow-moving and repeated rounds of moderate to heavy rain will also be likely. A quick 2 to 4 inches of rain could fall, with locally higher amounts possible. This much rain in a short period would trigger flooding, especially in urban, low-lying and other more flood prone areas. If you do approach a flooded roadway, remember that it is always best to “Turn Around, Don’t Drown!”

Along the second low pressure system in the south-central U.S., rain and mountain snow showers will be in the forecast throughout the Rockies and Front Range.

At the same time, a new storm system will approach the Northwest for the start of the week. This will also create rain and mountain snow showers for western Washington and western Oregon into northern California.

Rain showers will also be likely across the Ohio Valley and interior Northeast on Saturday. These showers are due to a warm front lifting across the region. Otherwise, dry weather will prevail over the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast thanks to high pressure overhead.

Expect 40s and 50s across the Northwest, Great Basin, Rockies, northern Plains and far Upper Mississippi Valley. However, the tallest peaks of the Mountain West could only see highs in the 30s, while the lowest elevations could see a few 60s. The Northeast will also generally experience 50s and 60s on Saturday.

Widespread 70s and 80s are expected for the rest of the nation, include California and the Desert Southwest, the lower half of the Plains, most of the Mississippi Valley, Midwest, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Deep South and Southeast. Several 90s will also be reported in Texas and a few spots in Florida.
 
Sunday

The low pressure system that moved into Ontario on Saturday will continue to advance to the east on Sunday. A cold front associated with the low pressure will be forced through the Northeast. There could be some drizzle or light showers in the morning. Then, a better chance for rain showers and perhaps a few thunderstorms arrive in the afternoon and evening.

The second low pressure system will inch east on Sunday, moving from the southern Plains into the Upper Mississippi Valley. A cold front will also be associated with this low and will move across the Central U.S. Expect widespread rain showers and thunderstorms throughout the Plains and Mississippi Valley throughout the day. These rain and storms will also spread into the Midwest and Great Lakes during the afternoon and evening.

Like Saturday, there will be a concern for heavy rainfall and severe weather across the Central U.S. Within thunderstorms, be on the lookout for damaging wind gusts, large hail and perhaps a few strong thunderstorms. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches will be common, triggering concerns for flooding.

The Pacific storm system will also push farther inland for the conclusion of the weekend. Rain showers will soak the coast of Washington and Oregon, while rain and higher elevation snow continues for the rest of the Northwest, Great Basin, Rockies and Front Range.

A few spots miss out on the soggy weather. This includes the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, which will still be firmly under high pressure. Most of California into the Desert Southwest will also luck out and stay dry.

Sunday temperatures stay similar to Saturday’s highs. Expect 30s and 40s for the higher elevations of the Mountain West as well as the northern Plains and far Upper Mississippi Valley. The Northwest, Great Basin, Rockies and central Plains will experience the 50s and 60s, as will the Northeast. Otherwise, expect widespread 70s and 80s, with 90s once again in southern Texas and Florida.