Multiple storm systems are creating a wet, wintry forecast for the Northwest, mid-southern U.S. and Northeast this weekend. If you need to go shopping or go outside on vacation, there shouldn’t be any weather problems elsewhere.

Saturday
The start of the weekend will see a combination of lake snow and a warm front affecting the northern United States, the Great Lakes and the Northeast. During the morning, persistent northwesterly winds will create a lake effect in the downwind areas of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Erie and Ontario. A warm front will move across the upper Mississippi Valley, the Great Lakes and the Northeast in the afternoon and evening. Therefore, more light snowfall is expected during this time, with the greatest likelihood in the far north. At times there may even be freezing drizzle or very light freezing rain.

Meanwhile, the southern US will remain under the influence of a near-stationary front. This front will produce showers and thunderstorms throughout Texas throughout the day. Showers and thunderstorms could spread to southern Oklahoma, southern Arkansas and Louisiana later in the day.

A major weather system and associated cold front will move across the northwestern United States on Saturday. Precipitation will become increasingly likely as the day progresses from northwest to southeast through the northwest and northern Rockies. Expect rain along the Washington and Oregon coasts and in the lower elevations of the Northwest. The northern Rocky Mountains will see mostly a rain/snow mix. However, the highest elevations of the Cascades and northern Rockies will experience light to moderate snowfall. At higher altitudes there could be periods of freezing rain and snow.

The rest of the nation will be free of worries under high pressure. This includes California into the southwest and central/southern Rocky Mountains, as well as most of the Midwest, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic.

The coldest temperatures are in the inner northeast, with highs only reaching single digits and tens. Otherwise, 20s and 30s are expected for the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic and southern New England. The rest of the East will see mostly 40s and 50s, although 60s are possible along the Gulf Coast and 70s will occur in Florida.

Then to the west, the highest peaks of the Cascades and Rocky Mountains will report temperatures above 30°C. 40s and 50s are likely for the Northwest, the Great Basin, the rest of the Rocky Mountains and most of the Plains. However, a few 60s hits in the High Plains aren’t out of the question. Most of the 60s, 70s and some 80s will be reserved for California and the Southwest.



Sunday
Saturday’s warm front will move further east on Sunday and make its way across the Northeast. Most of the Northeast will see light snow throughout the day. Even southern New England and coastal areas could see some wet snowflakes or a rain-snow mix.

The stationary front over the southern US will finally gather and slowly move northeast. Repeated moderate to heavy rainfall is expected across the lower Mississippi Valley into the Deep South. Be on the lookout for flood areas, particularly in urban, low-lying areas and other areas more prone to flooding. It’s always best to “Turn around, don’t drown!” when approaching a flooded roadway.

The stronger storm system in the west will also expand eastward. Expect precipitation throughout the day throughout the Northwest, northern Rocky Mountains/Plains, and upper Mississippi Valley. Occasional showers will drench the Pacific Northwest, with a rain/snow mix occurring throughout the interior Northwest. Light to moderate snow will be the predominant precipitation type in the Cascades and Rocky Mountains.

Across the northern United States, things get more complicated. Initially there will be a mix of freezing rain, snow and sleet. The further east the system moves, the more it will become pure rain.

Like Saturday, high pressure will build over California in the Four Corners states as well as the Midwest, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Dry, calm weather will continue here.

Highs in the teens and 20s will continue across eastern New England Sunday. Teenagers and twenty-somethings can also be seen at the highest points of the Cascades and Rocky Mountains. Widespread 30s and 40s will occur from the Northwest and Mountain West into the Northern Plains, the Great Lakes and the rest of the Northeast. Milder 60s and 70s are forecast for most of the southern U.S., including the desert Southwest, southern half of the Plains, Deep South, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.