A large Pacific storm will propel into the West on Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing waves of rain from southern California to the Canadian border. With warm origins, snow levels will jump to around 9,000 feet, keeping the precipitation as rain for all but the highest elevations. By Wednesday, the Northwest will start to dry out, while rain continues to drench southern California and the Great Basin.
The remnants of a weekend storm will continue to impact the Northeast for Tuesday. Heavy lake-effect snow is expected in upstate New York, with windy conditions across New England. A few showers or snow showers will dot the Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic as well.
The nation’s midsection, from the Rockies to the Ohio Valley and Southeast, will enjoy high pressure and a quiet mid-week.
Temperatures will be on the chilly side across the Northeast, with 30s and 40s from the Dakotas to the Mid-Atlantic, with gusty winds making it feel like the teens and 20s. Mild 50s, 60s, and 70s will be common from Montana to Texas, as well as from the southern Plains to the Southeast. Likewise, 50s and 60s will dominate the West, with 30s in the mountains.
The latter half of the work week will see more unsettled weather in the West, with storm systems careening into the Northwest and Southwest. Snow levels will remain high, keeping rain as the primary precipitation type.
Another warm storm will work its way across the central U.S., bringing rain from the Great Lakes to Texas starting Thursday night and lasting into Friday. In a very un-Decemberlike manner, snowflakes will be hard to find with this storm. Ahead of the storm, the East will remain mostly dry aside from a weak disturbance crossing northern New England with a few flurries.
Temperatures will remain on the cool side across the Great Lakes and Northeast, where 20s, 30s, and 40s will reign. From the Front Range to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, a bout of warmer weather will propel the mercury into the 50s, 60s, and 70s. The West will remain on the mild side too, with 30s and 40s in the mountains and 50s and 60s in the valleys.
Christmas weekend will feature one storm system plodding its way from the Rockies into the Midwest. While chilly air will be present in the Rockies, producing snow, that cold will retreat by Sunday and Monday as the storm advances eastward. Aside from a cold pool of air making its way into Minnesota, Santa will dodge raindrops and not snowflakes as he makes his way across the central U.S. this Christmas.
Meanwhile, two areas of high pressure will remain in control across the East and West coasts, making for a pleasant lead-up to Christmas. By Christmas afternoon, the weather will likely start to shift in the stormy direction from northern California to Washington, leading to windy and rainy weather.
The coldest readings for the Christmas travel weekend will be across the northern Plains, where 20s and 30s will be common. New England will see highs in the 30s and 40s, while much of the rest of the East will see Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with highs in the 50s and 60s. In the West, seasonably cold air will dive through the Front Range, with plenty of 30s and 40s. Mild 50s and 60s will be found along the West Coast over the weekend, with a little bit cooler conditions on Monday.
By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Andrew Rosenthal
