Weekend Weather Preview

Weather-wise, this weekend is shaping up to be jam-packed with rain and thunderstorms across different parts of the U.S. However, the central U.S., Pacific Northwest and Rockies will mainly be the ones in the driver seat for active weather. 

Saturday

The Great Plains, Midwest and even the Pacific Northwest will be the main concerns on Saturday thanks to multiple disturbances. 

Starting in the Plains, a disturbance developing over the Rocky Front Range will likely travel east-southeastward throughout the day. Thanks to the unstable environment, robust thunderstorms will have little issues developing in Nebraska and Kansas southward into Oklahoma and Texas through the evening hours. The main concern will be gusty winds, but large hail and strong tornadoes will also be a risk for these areas.

A lingering front over the Ohio and Tennessee valleys will also prompt the chance for showers and storms along the Appalachians this weekend. Severe weather isn’t expected here, but a few outdoor plans may get washed out. 

As for the Pacific Northwest, a disturbance sliding across the coastline this weekend will likely foster rain showers from Washington to northern California throughout the day. There may even be a few snowflakes mixing into the activity across the higher elevations. Also, a few thunderstorms developing along the Sierra Nevada towards the evening hours cannot be ruled out. Some of this activity may travel into the Great Basin late in the evening as well.

Not many areas will be dry on Saturday, but high pressure dropping out of the north will prompt somewhat dry conditions for the northern Plains and upper Mississippi Valley. High pressure over eastern Canada will likely produce mostly dry weather for the New England as well.

Temperatures peaking in the 70s and 80s will be likely across the Midwest, Great Basin, southern Plains and Southeast. Meanwhile, cooler highs in the 50s and 60s will be likely along the West Coast, northern Plains and Northeast. 

Sunday

Cinco de Mayo will be just as eventful for those who celebrate as high pressure forces the rain and stormy weather south and eastward. Meanwhile, the coastal system in the West will ramp up the weather to close out the weekend.

A disturbance brewing across the southern Plains will likely spell showers and thunderstorms for Texas into the Mississippi Valley throughout the day. Some of the storm activity may become strong to briefly severe, with gusty winds being the main concern. 

A front exiting across the East Coast will spell scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms from New England to Florida throughout the day.

Further to the west, a storm that began to brew along the West Coast will push further eastward on Sunday. This will likely spell a mix of rain and snow showers across the Great Basin into the northern Rockies. The higher elevations will likely see the heaviest snowfall while the valleys receive mostly rain. 

Although it will be dry, it will also be quite windy across parts of the High Plains and upper Mississippi Valley on Sunday thanks to high pressure shifting eastward. It will also be dry over the Great Lakes thanks to high pressure overhead.

There will be quite the spread of temperatures to close out the weekend as well, with 70s and 80s found from the Rockies, Great Plains into Ohio and Tennessee valleys and Southeast. There may even be a few 90s appearing across southern Texas. The cooler spots will be reserved for the Northeast, Great Basin and West Coast where temperatures will struggle to break out of the 50s and 60s once more.