A large and powerful low pressure system, the first of its kind so far this fall season, is bringing widespread moderate to heavy rain as well as strong gusty winds across the north-central portion of the country this morning.
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The system is forecast to reach peak intensity early this morning over the north-central Great Plains as it tracks generally eastward, reaching the Mid-Atlantic coast by late on Saturday.
The heaviest rains are expected to move eastward through the upper Midwest today, and then across the Mid-Atlantic states on Saturday well in advance of the low pressure center.
Meanwhile, the strongest winds are expected to occur following the passage of the low center as colder and drier air rushes in behind the storm.
High Wind Warnings and Wind Advisories are in effect for much of the north-central Plains.
In addition, thunderstorms are expected to develop just ahead of the low pressure system, impacting many areas across the Midwest today into tonight, with the possibility for the thunderstorms to become severe near the intersecting frontal boundaries and clashing air masses where large hail, damaging wind gusts, and tornadoes are possible.
The low pressure system is forecast to weaken as it continues to slide eastward across the Ohio Valley on Saturday with a band of moderate to heavy rain with some embedded thunderstorms early in the day across the lower Great Lakes and then quickly shift eastward into the northern Mid-Atlantic through Saturday night.
Meanwhile, a low pressure wave currently developing near a stationary front over northern Florida is forecast to track northeastward up the southeast U.S.
coast through today and Saturday, then merge with the northern stream low early on Sunday.
This interaction will result in a rapidly intensifying low pressure system to move off the northern Mid-Atlantic coast Saturday night into early Sunday.
A period of heavy rain with embedded thunderstorms are possible over the northern Mid-Atlantic Saturday night before cool and blustery north to northwesterly winds rush into the region on Sunday.
Meanwhile, a large area of unsettled weather is forecast to extend well behind the exiting storm through the Ohio Valley and into the southern portion of the Great Lakes with cool afternoon temperatures but slow improvement in the weather during the weekend.
Meanwhile, cold air on the backside of the low pressure system has already brought the first major high elevation snow across parts of the central and southern Rockies.
Relatively quiet conditions are expected to prevail across the rest of the interior western U.S.
On the other hand, rain is forecast to linger over the Pacific Northwest ahead of a weakening front.
Some of the rain will extend farther south into northern California early today before tapering off. ■