National Weather Summary
A powerful late-winter storm is taking shape across the central U.S., bringing heavy snow, blizzard conditions, and strong winds to the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. Snowfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour, combined with 50+ mph winds, will create dangerous travel conditions across portions of the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This system will continue intensifying as it moves eastward, reaching the Great Lakes by Thursday. Meanwhile, dry and windy conditions across the Central and Southern High Plains will bring an elevated risk of wildfires.
On the West Coast, a series of Pacific storm systems will bring heavy rain and mountain snow to the Northwest, with the highest snowfall accumulations expected in the Cascades and northern Rockies. A cold front will push through California, generating scattered showers and embedded thunderstorms, while moderate rainfall persists along the coastal ranges of Oregon and Washington.
Across the East, a departing storm system will finally bring an end to lingering rain in New England, with a chance for a few snowflakes mixing in across the northern tier. The rest of the region will experience a brief period of dry weather before another system arrives later in the week, bringing widespread precipitation from the Midwest to the East Coast by Thursday into Friday.
Northeast Weather Story
After several days of active weather, a brief period of quiet and seasonably mild conditions will settle over the Northeast. High pressure will be in control, bringing a mix of sun and clouds and comfortable temperatures ranging from the mid-40s in northern New England to the mid-50s to near 60 degrees in southern New England and the Hudson Valley. Winds will be relatively light, though a weak sea breeze may develop along the coast, keeping temperatures slightly cooler there.
Tuesday night will be mostly clear, allowing for good radiational cooling in interior valleys. Lows will dip into the mid-20s in northern New England, while much of southern New England and eastern New York remain in the 30s.
The break in active weather will be short-lived, as the next system arrives Thursday into Friday. A strong cold front associated with low pressure tracking through the Great Lakes will bring increasing clouds and gusty southerly winds Thursday, followed by widespread rain. Interior high elevations, particularly across the Adirondacks, Greens, and Whites, could see a brief transition to snow as colder air rushes in behind the front Thursday night into Friday morning. The system will also bring strong northwest winds, with gusts of 30-45 mph possible on Friday, leading to a much colder and blustery end to the week.
Heading into the weekend, a return to seasonable and dry conditions is expected, with highs in the 40s and 50s. However, another system could approach early next week, bringing renewed chances for precipitation.