A cold and wet weather pattern on tap for the Easter weekend across much of California into the Southwest.
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An area of low pressure currently off the northern California coast will be sinking slowly southeastward along the central to southern California coast over the next two days.
This low will produce the potential for widespread heavy rains along the central to southern California coastal regions, along with the potential for isolated flash flooding.
Flood watches are currently in effect across portions of coastal southern California from north and east of San Diego, northward through the LA metro region, including the Transverse range.
While heavy rains occur along the coastal areas of central to southern California, heavy snows are likely through much of the Sierra where 1 to 2 feet are possible.
Locally heavy snows will also be likely farther inland from the Mogollon Rim of Arizona, into the Wasatch of Utah, the Rockies of Wyoming and across the higher terrain of the Nevada Great Basin as this system pushes eastward this weekend.
In addition to the wet weather across southern California, high temperatures are expected to be much below average both Saturday and Sunday, with the potential for record low maximum temperatures across the Los Angeles to San Diego metro areas.
Much below average temperatures also expected across much of the Great Basin, Southwest and Northern Plains this weekend.
Warmer more spring like temperatures are on tap from the Southern to Central Plains, eastward across the Middle to Lower Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley and the Southeast.
Across these regions, high temperatures are expected to be 10 to 20 degrees above average.
Winter weather will be hanging on across portions of northern Maine late Friday into early Saturday as a strong low moves slowly northward to the east of Maine across the Canadian maritimes.
Early Spring heavy snows are possible across northern Maine with accumulation in the 4 to 6 inch range forecast.
A fast moving area of low pressure moving west to east from Iowa into the L.P.
of Michigan Friday night into Saturday will produce an area of 2-4" snows well to its north from the Arrowhead of Minnesota into the U.P. of Michigan.
An expanding area of wintry weather is also expected to push eastward from the Northern Rockies Saturday and into the Northern Plains on Sunday.
The heaviest snow accumulations are expected over portions of the Northern Rockies with generally light totals pushing east into the High Plains. ■