Cold Settling in to Large Swath of Central US for Next Several Days

Posted: April 16, 2021 11:09 am

The yo-yo temperature pattern is set to continue throughout the central part of the US well into next week. A new system will drop even colder air from Canada down into the US early next week. This cool temperature mass will then gradually begin to move to the east as the week continues. Meanwhile, residents of the West Coast will be welcoming temperatures that are well above normal.

Cool Weather Pattern to Continue

Residents of the Plains have been dealing with cooler than average temperatures for the last week. For example, Denver has been sitting at about 10 degrees cooler than normal for mid-April. The Mile High City struggled to get out of the 40s for a high on Wednesday.

It was even colder in the northern Plains on Thursday morning with some cities hitting the freezing mark. This overnight freeze trend is not expected to lift anytime soon. In addition, the Midwest will be under the gun for frost issues on Friday and potentially on Saturday as the mercury continues to plummet.

The swath of cold air will penetrate throughout the Plains and the Mississippi Valley through the weekend. Temperature readings may drop as much as 20 degrees below normal in the overnight hours. Areas at risk of seeing temperatures drop to freezing include southern Kansas, northern Illinois, and central Missouri. Residents in these areas who have already planted flowers may be advised to cover them up.

Snow Back in the Forecast

Beginning on Saturday night, snow will likely spread down from Canada and into Montana, Wyoming, and western South Dakota. The snow will continue on and off through Monday. Forecasters are warning that road conditions may deteriorate quickly as the snow spreads.

A new wave of cold air is expected to drop southward into the Upper Plains and Midwest to start the week. This cold air mass will gradually track to the east, bringing the potential of much cooler weather to the Northeast.

Meanwhile, in the Pacific Northwest

While the central US will be dealing with a blast of cold, the Pacific Northwest will be basking in temperatures that are far above average for this time of the year. Temperatures in Seattle will make the Emerald City feel more like mid-summer than early spring.

Seattle is predicted to break the 80-degree mark on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. With a forecast high of 83 degrees on Saturday, the past record of 80 degrees may be in danger of falling. Temperatures typically hover in the mid-50s in Seattle during mid-April.

The warm temperatures will extend through Oregon and into Northern California. Portland is also expected to break a temperature record on Saturday with its predicted high of 86 degrees. San Francisco will enjoy sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s for the weekend.

The warmth will extend down the coast of California with a forecast high of 89 degrees in Los Angeles. This would represent a departure of about 10 degrees above normal.

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