Much of the eastern U.S. will remain mired within an abnormally chilly air-mass for mid-April through mid-week.
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A handful of daily record cold high and low temperatures are forecast in parts of the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast today.
There are also a combination of Freeze Warnings and Frost Advisories in the Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valleys.
In addition to the cold, a Nor'easter will continue to produce periods of light snow in parts of the interior Northeast this evening along with gusty winds.
Additional snow accumulations between 3-6 inches are expected from northern Pennsylvania to the Adirondacks.
Lake effect snow downwind of Lake Erie may also produce accumulating snowfall greater than 8 inches in southwestern New York.
Some pockets of measurable snowfall are also expected in parts of the central Appalachians today.
High pressure continues to build in from the west tonight and moves over the East Coast by Wednesday, making for a mostly dry but still relatively chilly day.
Farther west, a frontal system tracking through the northern Rockies this afternoon will eject into the northern High Plains tonight.
In its wake, areas of mountain snow will lead to pockets of 6"+ snowfall totals in parts of the Sierra Nevada, Oregon Cascades, and the Tetons.
In the southern High Plains, scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue into the evening with the best odds for severe storms in the Texas Panhandle where the Storm Prediction Center has issued a Marginal Risk for severe weather.
As a potent upper level disturbance tracks through the Intermountain West tonight and into the northern High Plains Wednesday morning, a strengthening surface low in the central High Plains will become the focus for the next round of severe storms Wednesday afternoon and evening.
A Slight Risk has been issued for northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas where severe hazards such as tornadoes, large hail, and damaging winds are all possible.
Periods of rain are also likely in the Middle Mississippi Valley and the Ozarks on Wednesday where over one inch of rain is forecast.
Severe storms will also be possible in the Pacific Northwest as the next Pacific storm system approaches the region.
Rainfall totals of 1.5 to 2 inches are expected on Wednesday in southwest Oregon and coastal northern California.
In the higher elevations, snowfall totals as much as a foot or more are on tap in the Shastas, Cascades, and northern Sierra Nevada.
Elsewhere, it is a busy stretch for fire weather in the Southwest and the High Plains.
Critical Risks for fire weather have been issued from Las Vegas on east across northern Arizona and much of New Mexico.
The fire weather hazards are due to gusty winds, dry fuels, and low humidity.
The more concerning Critical Risk areas stick around in parts of the western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming on Wednesday, as well as central and southern New Mexico.
Red Flag Warnings are in effect for all of these areas.
Summer-like temperatures will expand into the Great Plains tomorrow and then the Mississippi Valley on Thursday.
A cold airmass will keep temperatures well below average over parts of North Dakota and northern Minnesota through the weekend. ■