Multiple waves of low pressure lifting northeast across the Midwest will consolidate and deepen tonight through Friday across the Great Lakes region, with this latest winter storm bringing heavy accumulating snow to portions of the Upper Midwest and the U.P. of Michigan.
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On Saturday, the low center will advance northeast into southeast Canada, but strong winds and much colder air surging south around the departing low center will keep a threat of heavy lake-effect snow going across the U.P. of Michigan where snowfall totals of as much as 1 to 2 feet can be expected.
The exiting low center will drive a strong cold front across the Eastern U.S.
and this coupled with a secondary surge of Arctic air dropping south from Canada will allow for the transport of much colder air which will bring a large area of below to much below normal temperatures across the Plains, Midwest and gradually into much of the East heading into the weekend.
Some portions of the Plains and Midwest will see high temperatures as much as 15 to 25 degrees below normal, with some areas of the Northern Plains seeing low temperatures by Saturday morning that will be below zero.
The arrival of cold air across the central and eastern portions of the U.S.
will be preceded by mild temperatures, and this relatively warm air coupled with moisture arriving north from the Gulf of Mexico will set the stage for areas of heavy showers and thunderstorms for this evening and overnight across portions of the Southern Plains and the Lower Mississippi Valley.
In fact, the Storm Prediction Center has depicted an Enhanced Risk of severe weather for areas of north-central to northeast Texas, much of southern Oklahoma, and southwest Arkansas.
Strong winds, large hail, and a couple of tornadoes will be possible across these areas.
Heavy rainfall will also be associated with these stronger storms, and there is at least a localized flash flood threat that may evolve across the Arklatex region this evening and overnight given the potential for a few inches of rain.
The Weather Prediction Center has highlighted areas of central to southern Arkansas, far southeast Oklahoma, eastern Texas and northwest Louisiana in a Slight Risk of excessive rainfall.
Drier air and much more tranquil weather will be the story across much of the West for the end of the week and into the first part of the weekend with temperatures near to slightly below normal, except for the Pacific Northwest where temperatures will be slightly above normal.
However, a new storm system will be approaching the West Coast by the latter part of the weekend, and thus more unsettled weather will soon be on the horizon. ■