4 Things To Watch In This Week's Weather

Jonathan Belles
Published: March 5,2017
An active weather pattern will dominate across the northern part of the country through this week, with spring-like warmth keeping control to the south of that storm track. The week will also begin with the threat of a few severe storms in parts of the Midwest and South.
Below are the weather stories we are tracking this week.

1. Storms Will Sweep Across the Midwest and South Early This Week

A cold front will sweep south and eastward through the southern Plains and into the Southeast early this week. Showers and storms are expected to develop in a large majority of the eastern half of the country ahead of the cold front.
Moisture and warm air will surge northward from the upper Texas coast to the Great Lakes, enhancing shower and storm activity by early Monday. The area of rain will spread into the Tennessee Valley and East by early Tuesday.
There may be a few strong to severe storms from the mid-Mississippi Valley southward to the mid-South on Monday. On Tuesday, the potential for a few severe storms will likely be from east Texas to the lower-Mississippi Valley.
Localized damaging wind gusts and hail are the main threats from any severe storms that develop, though a few tornadoes cannot be ruled out. We do not expect a repeat of last week's tornado outbreak in those regions.
(MORE: Severe Storms Return to Midwest, South Early This Week)
Rainfall amounts east of the Mississippi River and in the southern Plains should less than an inch, but isolated amounts up to two inches are possible.

Early-Week Forecast

2. Widespread Above-Average Warmth Returns

Above-average temperatures will dominate overall this week from the Southwest to the nation's midsection. Temperatures will also turn milder Tuesday and Wednesday across the recently-chilly Northeast.
Monday, high temperatures will be 20 to 30 degrees above average from north Texas northward to the Canadian border, with temperatures climbing to 70 degrees as far north as southern Iowa and Nebraska.
(MAPS: Weekly Planner)
This burst of warmth will not threaten dozens of record highs like the heat waves of February did, but a few areas in the central Plains could get close to record territory on Monday. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Wichita, Kansas, could both near record highs.
The warmth combined with wind gusts as high as 45 mph are expected to increase fire danger on Monday from the southern Rockies northward into the central Plains.
Mild temperatures will likely continue to grip the nation's southern tier through late week, while colder air nudges south of the Canadian border in the northern Plains, upper Midwest and Great Lakes.

Forecast Highs and Departures from Average

3. Stormy Pacific Northwest Pattern Continues

Several rounds of precipitation are likely in the Northwest through the week ahead, as multiple disturbances push across the region.
The heaviest snow will fall on Monday and Tuesday in the Cascades, Bitterroots and the higher terrain of northwestern Wyoming in Yellowstone National Park.
(MORE: Multiple Systems Ambush Northwest with Rain and Snow)
Periods of rain and mountain snow will then continue throughout the week across the region. Most of the rain and mountain snow will be light to moderate during this timeframe.

Tuesday's Forecast

4. Late-Week Snow in Nation's Northern Tier

The jet stream energy keeping the Northwest unsettled this week could also create snowy conditions in parts of the Midwest and Northeast.
Just enough cold air may be in place as that energy ripples eastward for snow to fall from parts of the northern Plains to the upper Midwest, Great Lakes and portions of the Northeast, starting Thursday and potentially continuing into next weekend.
There is uncertainty with this forecast since it's several days away. But there could be one or more rounds of at least light snow to close out the week. Check back with weather.com for updates.

Friday's Forecast

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Midwest Tornado Outbreak, Feb. 28 - Mar. 1

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