Weekend Weather Preview

This weekend's weather brings a tale of two extremes: dangerous severe thunderstorms erupting across the Plains and a brutal heat wave scorching Texas.  

Saturday  

The severe weather threat shifts eastward on Saturday as a cold front pushes into Oklahoma. Northwest Oklahoma faces the highest chance for large hail, some exceeding golf ball size, destructive wind gusts, and isolated tornadoes as storms develop along the front during the late afternoon hours. Otherwise, the High Plains and Gulf coast into Florida mostly expect typical scattered to isolated thunderstorms and showers.

Even further south, the Texas heat wave continues unabated with highs again reaching the upper 90s and low 100s from Dallas to Midland, worsening drought conditions, and elevating fire risks under bone-dry conditions.  

Aside from isolated wintry mix to snow over the central Rocky Front Range lingering rain amidst a low pressure system in the Northeast, most folks elsewhere can plan for clear conditions to start the weekend.

Saturday's temperatures show similar patterns with the Northeast remaining chilly in the 40s and 50s while the Mid-Atlantic warms slightly into the 70s and 80s. The Southeast continues sweating through 80s and 90s, and the Midwest and Northern Plains hold steady in the 50s and 60s. Western temperatures see the Pacific Northwest climbing into the 60s and 70s while the southern West Coast stays hot with 80s and 90s.  

Residents in the Plains should remain weather-aware both days, as these storms could turn dangerous quickly, while Texans need to take serious precautions against the extreme heat by staying hydrated and limiting outdoor exposure during peak afternoon hours. The contrasting weather patterns this weekend - from severe storms to record heat - highlight the dramatic swings spring weather can bring.  

Sunday  

Although higher pressure is set to bring pleasant weather over the Upper Midwest, as well as most of the Great Plains by next week, widespread storms will make one last push from the High Plains into the Southeast. Here, a humid Gulf air mass will interact with the intruding drier air mass, forcing up scattered thunderstorms and widespread showers along this corridor. 

Some afternoon severe thunderstorms are expected in the southern and central Plains, which expects to receive rain through most of Sunday. In contrast, most of the Southeast’s storms pop up solely in the afternoon.  

Aside from isolated evening rainfall in the Pacific Northwest and isolated drizzle over the interior Northeast, a day free of rain is expected in the Great Lakes region and the Intermountain West.  

Summer will shine over the U.S. Southern Tier and across the westernmost states of the union, baking and steaming areas throughout under the same persistent wave of heat. States in the Mid-South and along deeper southeastern coasts will feel muggy 80s and 90s, with Texas soaring across the upper 90s and even into blazing 100s in isolated locales. Arid yet similar heat to the Mid-South will spur over the Desert Southwest, while temperate upper 60s and 70s emerge over the Intermountain West and Northwest.  

Highs of 50s and 60s will encourage cooler weather in the Northeast, the Great Lakes, Appalachia, the Midwest, and the central and northern Plains. The only places where cold 30s and 40s chill will be in the interior Northeast and the peaks of the Rocky Front Ranges.