Weather Across America

(NATIONAL) Critical Fire Weather Risk over portions of the Southwest to Southern High Plains,  temperatures drop well below average across much of the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, and unsettled weather expected across the West as a new Pacific storm system advances inland across the Intermountain Region and through the Rockies.

Much of the central and east states will have a colder air settle in as high pressure setups over region in the wake of a strong cold front exit the Eastern Seaboard and the Gulf Coast. Below average temperatures are expected into early next week. The cold northwest winds over the Great Lakes and Northeast will bring a threat for snow shower activity and there may be locally a few inches of lake-effect snow immediately downwind of the Great Lakes. 

The coldest temperatures at the beginning of the week will be over the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast where daily highs will be as much as 15 to 25 degrees below normal before then moderating by next Tuesday. Much of the South will have dry conditions; however a weak system ejecting out across the Southern Plains late Sunday afternoon/evening will facilitate a return of enough moisture and instability for a threat of scattered showers and thunderstorms which may produce a few instances of severe weather with isolated large hail and strong winds possible. As this system initially comes through the Southwest and out into the southern High Plains, there will be concerns for gusty winds, and this coupled with the dry conditions will support elevated to critical fire weather concerns. 

Areas of southern Arizona through southern New Mexico and western Texas will see the greatest fire weather concerns through Sunday and early Monday. Rain and mountain snow is spreading across California, the Pacific Northwest and Great Basin Sunday as a cold front tracks through the West. Amounts and coverage will increase Sunday ngiht and into Monday as this system intensifies locally heavy higher elevation snowfall. This will include the Sierra Nevada, portions of the Great Basin, the Wasatch of Utah, and also the higher terrain of western Colorado where 6 to 12+ inches of new snowfall will be possible. 

It is forecast to eject out into the Southern Plains early next week and will severe weather for the Central/Southern Plains with an increasing threat for a substantial severe weather outbreak by midweek over the Lower and Middle Mississippi Valley. For areas farther south and east toward the southern High Plains, this next system will bring a new surge of strong, gusty winds which coupled with dry air/low relative humidities will support fairly widespread critical fire danger concerns which will include central and southern New Mexico and parts of western Texas through Monday.