Easter Sunday Outlook: Chill to Grip Northeast; Rain to Dampen West

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

April 1,2015; 9:50PM,EDT

 

While bright sunshine and springtime warmth are in store for parts of the nation on Easter Sunday, people in the Northeast will need to bundle up and umbrellas may be needed for parts of Texas and the West Coast.
The calmest weather in the nation will be found in an arc of sunshine stretching from the Southeastern states to the middle Mississippi Valley, central Plains, central Rockies and Desert Southwest on Sunday.

Mostly Calm Weather Dominates Central, Southern US
As cooler air spreads across Orlando with a high in the 70s, temperatures will peak near 70 in Atlanta, Nashville, Tennessee, St. Louis, Denver and Salt Lake City. Highs will be well into the 80s in Phoenix.
Only spotty showers are in the offing for the Florida Keys and Miami, while more numerous showers and thunderstorms can dampen the holiday in Dallas and Houston.
Rain and thunder could spread northward and eastward into parts of the southern Plains and the lower Mississippi Valley as the day progresses.
Wet Weather in Store for West
There is good news and bad news for parts of the Pacific coast and interior Northwest, with some rain in store for some drought-stricken areas but also the potential for wet weather spoiling outdoor religious services and other gatherings.
RELATED:
California to Turn Rainy, Northeast to Warm Up by Mid-April
Early Easter Weekend Storm to Unload Rain and Snow in Midwest, Northeast
Spring Allergies: Quick-Hitting, Intense Season in Store for East
Clouds, showers and cool air will extend from central California northward to Washington state. San Francisco, Seattle and Boise, Idaho, can expect some wet weather.
The clouds and sporadic rainfall with high-elevation snow showers will reach the northern Sierra Nevada, the Snake River Basin and part of the northern Rockies.
Dry weather will hold around Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Diego, but winds will kick up during the afternoon. Gusts to 25 mph are possible.
Chill to Grip Northeast, Upper Midwest
As has been the case during much of March, cold air will hang on in the Northeast on Easter Sunday with blustery conditions in New England.
Temperatures are forecast to peak within a few degrees of the freezing mark from upstate New York to northern New England. Snow showers will litter parts of New England, the central Appalachians and the Great Lakes.
In areas from southern New England to the coastal mid-Atlantic to part of the Upper Midwest, slightly higher temperatures will allow rain showers instead of snow showers. Cities that may receive a couple of passing showers include New York City and Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Chicago.