Temperature Rebound and Four Other Things To Watch in the Weather This Week

Linda Lam
Published: December 18,2016
A pattern change this week will bring warmer temperatures to many areas of the U.S. which have been experiencing frigid conditions as of late.
An active weather pattern will also continue to bring rain and snow to the Pacific Northwest and a couple of chances of rain to the South. Some light wintry weather is also expected in the northern tier.
(MORE: Top 10 Weather Stories of 2016 in the U.S.)
Below we take a closer look at what we are watching in the weather in the week ahead and be sure to check back to weather.com for updates.

1) Frigid Start to the Week

An arctic air mass that set record lows in the Plains Saturday and Sunday will continue to grip parts of the central and eastern states to start the week.

Forecast Lows Compared to Average

Many areas of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region will see temperatures plummet to the single digits, teens and even a few 20s below zero Monday morning. The mid-South will see morning lows in the teens and 20s.
(MORE: Record Cold in the Plains)
Highs on Monday will be 10-20 degrees below average from Texas to the Great Lakes and northern New England. The Great Lakes won't rise out of the teens, while much of the South sees 30s and 40s.

2) Arctic Cold Rebound=Warmer Temperatures Return

The good news is that there is some relief from the brutally cold temperatures ahead. A change in the jet stream pattern will bring a more southerly flow and a gradual retreat of arctic air midweek.

High Temperatures Compared to Average

Well-below average temperatures will be replaced with near to above-average temperatures.
The West and areas of the Plains will experience this transition beginning Tuesday with most of the East seeing warmer temperatures by Wednesday or Thursday.
(MORE: January Temperature Outlook)
Highs will once again climb above the freezing mark from the southern Great Lakes southward. Most of the Northeast will also see highs into the 30s and 40s, while temperatures will reach the 50s and 60s in the South.
Lows will also rebound to closer to where they should be for this time of year.

3) Southern Rain Chances

Two cold fronts will move across the South in the week ahead, bringing more needed-rainfall to the region, which still is experiencing a serious drought.

Rainfall Forecast

The first system will bring showers to parts of the Southeast through Monday.
(FORECAST: Nashville, Tennessee | Birmingham, Alabama | Atlanta, Georgia | Asheville, North Carolina)
The next cold front will move across the South mid-to-late week, bringing the chance for rain once again Wednesday night through Thursday.

4) Active Pacific Northwest

The position of the jet stream will keep the storm track into the Pacific Northwest in the upcoming week. However, this is not unusual for this time of year.

Next Week's Forecast

The first two weather systems will bring moderate to locally heavy rain and snow to the higher elevations Monday into Tuesday. An area of high pressure will allow for a brief period of dry conditions before the next system approached the Northwest coast Wednesday night into Thursday.
(MAPS: Weekly Planner)
Temperatures should also be warmer this week than compared with the last couple of weeks, which will result in rising snow levels. However, the Cascades will likely pick up a substantial amount of snow this week.

5) Wintry Weather Across Northern Tier

Two disturbances will bring the chance for wintry weather to sections of the northern Plains, Upper Midwest, Great Lakes region and Northeast this week.

Midweek Forecast

The first disturbance will bring light snow from North Dakota into northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan Monday night into Tuesday.
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An area of low pressure will then bring snow showers and possibly a mix of snow, freezing rain, sleet and rain from North and South Dakota into the Great Lakes region Tuesday night into Wednesday. As this system pushes east, snow, ice and rain will develop in areas of the interior Northeast Wednesday night through Thursday. Snow showers may linger in Maine into early Friday.
Any snowfall or rainfall totals will be on the light side, with less than three inches of snow expected.
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