The end of the workweek and upcoming weekend will have plenty of potential weather hazards scattered across the nation as we reach the midway point of November.
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A system crossing the Intermountain West today will continue to bring areas of moderate snowfall from the central Sierra Nevada to the Northern Rockies into Saturday.
The highest elevations have high chances (>70%) for at least 4 inches of snowfall and coincide with where Winter Weather Advisories have been issued.
Precipitation is also possible across the Northern Plains on Saturday as an area of low pressure crosses the region, with a mix of rain and snow at times.
This system will also have the potential to produce periods of strong winds across parts of the Montana Front Range on Saturday.
As the weekend begins, a strong frontal boundary and surge of Pacific moisture is set to move inland across the Pacific Northwest and bring the potential for heavy coastal/lowland rainfall and snow to the Washington and Oregon Cascades.
In fact, Winter Storm Watches have been hoisted for the Cascades due to the potential for total snow accumulations of 1 to 2 feet, with locally higher snow amounts over the highest peaks.
For the East, two separate storm systems brushing coastal regions while a large area of high pressure builds into the Great Lakes and slides over the Appalachians by Sunday will drive weather conditions through this weekend.
Gusty winds and locally heavy rain are possible along the Outer Banks of North Carolina and surrounding Mid-Atlantic coastline today due to a rapidly deepening, but quickly exiting, low pressure system.
Showers and strong winds will be short-lived as the storm races eastward into the open Atlantic by tonight, with breezy conditions remaining due to a tight pressure gradient related to high pressure over the Great Lakes.
A separate storm system swinging into the Canadian Maritimes will produce showers over parts of Maine, with a light glaze of freezing rain possible today where temperatures hang just below the freezing mark.
In between these two system will remain a very dry and breezy Northeast, prompting an additional few days of fire weather concerns.
Conditions will remain ripe for developing wildfires through at least Saturday thanks to a stiff northwest breeze and low relative humidity, including major I-95 cities between Philadelphia and Boston.
By late this weekend the next rainmaker for the Southern Plains is forecast to develop as an organizing low pressure system strengthens over West Texas Sunday night.
This system is then forecast to move northeastward into Monday morning and spread numerous showers and thunderstorms between the Texas Panhandle/North Texas to central Oklahoma.
Periods of heavy rain may lead to areas of flash flooding, especially in urban and poor drainage locations.
A few strong thunderstorms may also have the potential to contain large hail, frequent lightning, and damaging wind gusts. ■