A slow-moving, wavy frontal system stretching from the Northeast to the Ohio/Tennessee Valleys to the central/southern High Plains will be the focus for several rounds of severe thunderstorms and drenching downpours Friday into the first half of the weekend.
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Warm and moist air south of the wavy front will clash with cooler and drier air to the north of it, setting the stage for an active stretch of weather for a large portion of the country.
Severe thunderstorms capable of producing very large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes will be particularly concerning across parts of the central and southern High Plains today, with the Storm Prediction Center highlighting the threat with an Enhanced Risk (level
3/5) of severe weather.
Strong to severe thunderstorms will also be possible farther east across parts of the Tennessee/Ohio Valleys and southern New England, with a Slight Risk (level 2/5) outlining the
potential for strong winds, hail, and even an isolated tornado or two.
In addition to the severe weather threat, these same regions will also have to contend with bouts of heavy rainfall, some of which could lead to scattered instances of flash flooding.
On Saturday, the risk for severe weather and excessive rainfall will shift south and east a bit, targeting more of the Mid-South, Tennessee Valley, and the Southeast as additional waves of low pressure develop along the slow-moving front.
Similar to today, heavy showers and strong to severe thunderstorms will threaten to
produce damaging winds, large hail, a couple tornadoes, and flash flooding.
In the wake of the front, high pressure building in from the northwest will lead to a period of cooler than normal temperatures from parts of the Rockies and the Intermountain West eastward to the Great Lakes through Saturday.
The coolest temperature anomalies will be found from southeast Wyoming and western Nebraska to eastern Colorado and western Kansas today with high temperatures 10 to 15 degrees below normal.
On the other side of the coin, summer-like heat will build across the southern tier of the U.S.
and much of the Pacific Northwest through the weekend. Temperatures of 10 to as much as 25 degrees above normal will translate to highs well into the 90s and 100s.
In fact, by Sunday, high temperatures could threaten records for parts of the Pacific Northwest, with even more records possible on Monday. ■