While the severe weather will weaken in the next 36 hours, the weather pattern remains dynamic and will lead to more extremes in the coming days.
The deadly tornado outbreak in Oklahoma Monday highlights an important distinction between the enthusiasm displayed when talking about the weather and responsible reporting of the weather information to the general public.
Most of the spring season had been quiet in terms of severe weather, but Sunday turned violent from the southern Plains to the Midwest. More severe weather is highly likely this afternoon all the way to Thursday.
More warmth, more moisture and a number of upper-level disturbances will contribute to widespread active weather around the country this weekend.
A blast of heat blasted across the Plains into the Midwest Tuesday, torching many records along the way. The heat will fade today as it reaches the mid-Atlantic.
From record cold to record heat, a dramatic turnaround is underway in the weather across the country.
After a long period of time with wave after wave of arctic blasts coming out of Alaska and western Canada, there will finally be an arctic disconnect later this week and this weekend, meaning a warmer pattern going forward for a time.
The next 72 hours will be wet from the southern Plains to the Northeast. Following a strong cold front, it will turn much cooler with a danger of frost Sunday night and again Monday night from the Midwest to the interior mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
The persistently cold weather pattern for much of the spring season will repeat itself this weekend as another strong cold front ushers a very chilly air mass into the Plains and to the East Coast this weekend and early next week.
The main jet stream has retreated to the north, leaving behind two large pools of cool air that will move along very, very slowly this week.
Joe Lundberg
