Wet and Mild End to March in Midwest, East

By Dan Depodwin, Meteorologist

March 29,2013; 12:10PM,EST

After a slew of winter storms this month, March will end on a wetter and milder note in many places. The next storm system that will move eastward this weekend is poised to bring rain and some thunderstorms from the Plains to the East Coast.
A combination of Pacific moisture and a Canadian disturbance will promote a wet start to the Easter weekend across the Midwest and Plains. The area with the steadiest rain is expected to be from Kansas to Wisconsin. A flow of mild air ahead of the system will allow precipitation to fall as rain, not snow.
Farther south, a stickier air mass, aided by Gulf moisture, will promote some thunderstorms around the Arklatex Saturday. While many locales are not expected to see an all-day washout, dodging showers will be commonplace in the middle of the nation Saturday.
Unfortunately for the parched areas of the western Plains, the best rainfall is forecast to be to the east, causing more drought stress on agriculture.
Ahead of this storm system, a brief break from the chilly, wintry weather is expected in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic Saturday. Sunshine is expected to prevail with milder temperatures.

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Saturday certainly looks like the better weekend day to be outside in the East. By Easter Sunday, clouds will stream into the region and afternoon Easter egg hunts may turn wet.
Once again, thunderstorms will rumble on the southern side of this system Sunday from Dallas, Texas, to Atlanta, Ga. As always, keep an eye to the sky for threatening weather and move inside if a thunderstorm approaches.
No organized severe thunderstorm outbreaks are expected. A lack of a strong atmospheric disturbance and deep moisture will put a lid on nasty thunderstorms.
The only area of wintry weather should be across the northern Great Lakes where there can be snow showers, although accumulations will remain light. New England will stay cool and dry.