Heavy mountain snow expands across Four Corners and Southern Rockies
this weekend.

Severe Thunderstorm and Excessive Rainfall chances shift south into the
Southeast and Gulf Coast States.

Mild weather continues across the Pacific Northwest and East Coast.


A closed upper low will continue spinning over the Southwest this weekend,
while an upper ridge builds over the Northwest and a deep trough descends
into the Great Lakes/Midwest. Shortwave energy will round the base of the
closed low in the Southwest and accelerate through Texas and the Gulf
Coast leading to heightened Severe Weather and Excessive Rainfall threats
this weekend. At the surface, a slow moving cold front will eventually
stall out along the Gulf Coast and be the focus for thunderstorms and
heavy rainfall. Tonight, scattered to isolated thunderstorms (some severe)
will develop along the cold front extending from the Edwards Plateau into
south-central Texas. An Enhanced Risk (level 3/5) of Severe Thunderstorms
is in effect for those areas tonight, while a Slight Risk (level 2/5)
extends from there out across the central Gulf Coast and into the Florida
panhandle, where very large hail and isolated damaging winds are expected.
In addition to that, a Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall (at least 15%) is
in effect for those same areas where 3-4 inches of rainfall may
accumulate. The Slight Severe Weather and Excessive Rainfall Risks
continue over southern Texas on Saturday where the cold front will stall
out. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue across the central
Gulf Coast as well.

While heavy snow diminishes later today across the central Rockies, heavy
snow will expand and intensify across the Four Corners this weekend and is
likely to redevelop over the Southern Rockies on Sunday. For the higher
elevations of the Southwest and Four Corners region, including portions of
the Mogollon Rim north into the southern Wasatch and the San Juans, snow
probabilities for amounts of at least 12 inches are moderate to high
(50-90%). Localized totals up to 2 feet are possible. By Sunday, the
heaviest snowfall is expected to transition to the Sangre de Cristo and
Jemez Mountains. Heavy snow rates of up to 2"/hr and gusty winds exceeding
35mph (locally higher to 50mph) will cause blowing snow and reduced
visibility, especially across the mountain roads and passes. This will
create difficult to at times impossible travel, with road closures likely.
Disruptions to infrastructure due to power outages are possible as well.

Elsewhere, an upper ridge will promote increasing heights and above
average temperatures for the Northwest this weekend. High temperatures in
the 60s and 70s will be 15-25 degrees above average for this time of year.
Meanwhile, a deep upper level trough will supply ample southerly flow into
the East Coast through Sunday after which a cold front will sweep through
and return temperatures to seasonal averages. This weekend though, highs
should be 5-15 degrees above average up and down the coast.