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The Week Ahead: November 7-13, 2022

A very active week is expected across the nation this week, with everything from hurricanes to blizzards, and record highs to record lows expected.

The week is starting out active and will remain that way for the next several days. Image provided by NOAA.

Low pressure is moving into the Pacific Northwest this morning, with rain strong winds, and mountain snow expected. As this storm spreads inland, heavy rain will spread across most of the West, including all of California, with heavy snow across the higher elevations and through the Great Basin and into the Rockies. Winter Weather Advisories, Winter Storm Warnings, and High Wind Warnings are in effect for many locations already. Rainfall totals of 1-2 inches and locally heavier will be welcomed across California, helping to put a dent into the drought and aiding efforts to extinguish the many wildfires still burning across the West. Across the mountains, snowfall totals of 1-2 feet and locally heavier are expected in parts of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada, with up to a foot possible across the mountains of the Interior Northwest and Northern Rockies.

Heavy rain is expected across most of California over the next few days. Image provided by WeatherBell.

By Thursday, the system will move into the Plains and toward the Great Lakes. Ahead of the storm, record high temperatures are possible once again, with the threat of some severe weather in the Mississippi Valley. However, it’s across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest where impact will be the greatest. The combination of strong winds, gusting to 40-50 mph, and heavy snow, possibly as much as 8-16 inches across parts of the Dakotas and northern Minnesota as well as the southern Canadian Prairies, will result in blizzard conditions at times later Thursday into Friday.

The models all have heavy snow forecast for the Dakotas and northern Minnesota, but differ on the amounts and placement. Images provided by Pivotal Weather.

Behind the storm, especially with fresh snowcover, some of the coldest air so far this fall will pour into the Rockies and Northern Plains with high temperatures for the end of the week and the weekend only in the teens and 20s, and some subzero low temperatures likely. As that storm continues into southeastern Canada, it will drag a cold front across the eastern third of the nation for the end of the week. By the time it reaches the East Coast late Saturday, nearly the entire nation will experience temperatures that are below normal for mid-November, a rather big change from what the eastern half of the nation has experiences for the past couple of weeks.

By Sunday, temperatures will be below normal across virtually the entire Lower 48. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

While all this is going on, we also need to pay attention to the tropics. Hurricane Season doesn’t officially end until November 30, and we’re keeping an eye on two separate areas at this time. The first is centered a few hundred miles east of Bermuda. As it drifts around over marginally warm waters, it could become a subtropical or tropical storm over the next day or two. It likely won’t last that long, as a strong cold front moving off the East Coast today will absorb this system by midweek and send it out over the colder waters of the North Atlantic.

The models are unanimous that the system east of Bermuda will not be a threat to land this week. Image provided by Tropical Tidbits.

The second area is a much bigger concern. A low pressure area few hundred miles north of Puerto Rico has been producing heavy rain across Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands for the past few days, with rainfall totals of 5-10 inches producing flooding in some locations. The system is expected to move northwestward while slowly organizing, and could become a tropical depression or storm over the next few days. Eventually, it will turn toward the west, passing close to or over the northern Bahamas, then heading toward the East Coast of Florida. Heavy rain, strong winds, and rough surf are likely across much of Florida as the system draws closer at mid-week. Some models have the storm close to hurricane strength before landfall somewhere across east-central Florida. After landfall, the mostly likely scenario is a turn toward the north and eventually northeast as a strong trough of low pressure moves into the Eastern US.

Ensemble forecasts for the track of a disturbance north of Puerto Rico. Image provided by Tomer Burg.

Once the system makes the turn, it will likely move back into the Atlantic and up the East Coast. While it will lose its characteristics, it will still produce heavy rain, gusty winds, and rough seas from the Carolinas northward to New England. Given its tropical origins, some of the rain could be especially heavy near the coast, with widespread totals of 2-4 inches possible. The strong cold front marching eastward will help kick the system out to sea later Saturday. If it does so early enough, it could result in less rain and wind across parts of New England.

The Week Ahead: July 18-24, 2022

Heat will be the big story this week, but severe weather will also grab some headlines early in the week.

A couple of frontal systems will generate some severe weather early in the week. Image provided by NOAA.

A frontal system moving across Montana this morning will help trigger some strong to severe thunderstorms later today across parts of the Northern Plains states. A widespread severe weather outbreak is not expected, but some storms may produce hail, damaging winds, and heavy downpours that could lead to flash flooding. Activity may start to wane by Tuesday morning as it crosses the Red River, but another round of strong to severe storms is expected to develop Tuesday afternoon and evening across parts of the Upper Mississippi Valley. The main threats with these storms will be strong winds, but hail and heavy downpours are also possible.

The severe weather threat shifts into the Upper Midwest on Tuesday. Image provided by the Storm Prediction Center.

Severe weather is possible in parts of the Northern Plains today. Image provided by the Storm Prediction Center.

Low pressure will move out of the Ohio Valley and into northern New England states. This system generated heavy rain across parts of the region over the weekend, resulting in some flooding in spots. The system will bring some much-needed rainfall to interior portions of New York and New England today, helping put a dent in the drought that has been developing for a few months. Some places could receive more than an inch of rainfall today. The system will also produce some strong thunderstorms across parts of the Mid-Atlantic states. A few severe storms are possible along the I-95 corridor from New York City to Washington. The main threat with any storms that develop will be strong winds, but there is a small risk for a tornado from eastern New York into parts of northern New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania.

Drought conditions continue to worsen across the Northeast. Image provided by the National Drought Mitigation Center.

Elsewhere, the main story this week will be record heat across the Plains states, eventually spreading to the East Coast. A large ridge of high pressure remains in place for the next several days from the Southwest into the Plains states. Temperatures will top 100 today from Texas northward to the Dakotas. While temperatures will turn a little cooler across the Dakotas for the next few days, triple-digits will continue across the central and southern Plains while spreading into the Lower Mississippi Valley, and by the end of the week into the Middle Mississippi Valley. Some record highs are expected for each of the next several afternoons, especially across Texas. Tuesday looks to be the hottest day, when temperatures may top 110 across portions of Oklahoma and northern Texas.

Record highs are expected across the nation’s mid-section nearly every afternoon this week. Images provided by WeatherBell.

Hot and humid weather will also spread to the East Coast later this week, and though a few records are possible conditions won’t be as extreme as in the Plains states. After the rain and potential severe weather today, heat will settle in on Tuesday, and remain in place for much of the week. Daytime temperatures will be in the lower to middle 90s for much of the week. Humidity levels will be moderate for Tuesday and Wednesday, but oppressive conditions return on Thursday. A frontal system may bring in some showers and thunderstorms later Thursday with drier weather returning for Friday and the weekend, but temperatures will remain very warm to hot.

The Week Ahead: July 11-17, 2022

The upcoming week will feature more heat in Texas and parts of the West, some severe weather in the northern tier of states and the potential for a tropical system in the Gulf of Mexico.

Quiet weather dominates much of the nation to start the week. Image provided by NOAA.

Record high temperatures were observed across much of the Plains states and Texas again on Sunday. In College Station, Texas, the high temperature reached 111 degrees at Easterwood Field. This not only broke the daily record of 109 that had stood since 1917, it broke the all-time record for July of 110, originally set on July 24, 1903, and tied on July 11, 1917. The 111-degree reading is tied with the 111 on September 5, 2000 for the 2nd warmest day in the city’s history, trailing only the 112 recorded on September 4, 2000. The heat will continue across Texas for the next few days, but temperatures shouldn’t be as hot as they were over the weekend. Records are still likely to fall in many spots across the state on Monday, with a few more possible on Tuesday and Wednesday as well. Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories remain in effect for a large part of the state.

Record highs are expected across Texas again on Monday. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

The heat will also continue across the Southwest and interior portions of the West for a good portion of the upcoming week. A few records are possible, but in most cases, temperatures will be 5-10 degrees above normal. Temperatures will likely top 110 in Las Vegas for the next few days, and in places like Phoenix and Tucson for most of the week. Triple-digit temperatures are likely across interior California Monday and Tuesday before dropping a little toward mid-week. Heat will also spread into parts of the Interior Northwest by midweek.

As is typical of July, a very hot week is expected in Death Valley, Image provided by Weathermodels.com

A frontal system will move across the northern tier of states over the next couple of the days. With a warm and humid airmass in place, some strong to severe thunderstorms are likely. The severe weather threat Monday exists across parts of the Great Lakes including the Chicago metropolitan area. By Tuesday, the threat will shift into interior portions of the Northeast. With the front not expected to reach the coast until after dark Tuesday evening, it will limit the severe weather threat for the big cities of the I-95 corridor on the Northeast. Some of the stronger storms may produce damaging winds, large hail, and heavy downpours that could lead to flash flooding in spots.

Severe weather is possible across interior portions of the Northeast on Tuesday. Image provided by the Storm Prediction Center.

Finally, low pressure is located along a frontal boundary over Georgia this morning. That boundary will wash out near the Gulf Coast over the next few days, but as it moves over the warm waters of the Gulf, conditions could become favorable for a low pressure area to form later this week. Whether it does form or not, some heavy rain is expected along the Gulf Coast from northern Florida to Louisiana. Some forecast models show the potential for rainfall totals 3 to 6 inches or higher, which could produce flooding in some areas.

A low pressure area moving into the northern Gulf of Mexico will be monitored for development this week. Image provided by the National Hurricane Center.

In the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Darby should continue westward over open water for the next several days, well southwest of Mexico. It will likely peak in intensity toward Tuesday, then steadily weaken over cooler water. Some of the remnants of the system could enhance rainfall across Hawaii toward next weekend.

The Week Ahead: June 6-12, 2022

A hot week is expected from Texas into the Southwest while the Plains states will be dealing with several rounds of severe weather.

A wavy frontal system in the Plains states will be the focus of severe weather this week. Image provided by NOAA.

A ridge of high pressure will build into parts of the Southwest and Texas over the next several days, resulting in hot and in some cases humid conditions. High temperatures will be well into the 90s and 100s across Texas for much of the upcoming week, with record highs possible in many locations each afternoon. The heat will spread across the Gulf Coast and into the Southeast later in the week, with temperatures reaching the 90s in many areas. However, the record heat will actually spread westward into the Southwest and California as the ridge continues to strengthen. By the latter half of the week, temperatures will top 100 across interior California, with parts of the Desert Southwest, including Phoenix and Las Vegas likely reaching 110 or more, with some records expected. Death Valley could reach 120 by the end of the week.

Record highs are expected over the next several days from Texas to California. Images provided by WeatherBell.

A wavy frontal system will remain in place across the central and southern Plains this week, keeping the heat in Texas, while cooler weather remains in place to the north. As waves of low pressure ride along that front, each one will trigger some showers and thunderstorms. Some of these storms could become strong to severe each afternoon, especially across parts of the southern Plains and into the Middle Mississippi Valley. One wave of low pressure may trigger some strong to severe storms this afternoon and evening, followed by another round of severe weather Tuesday afternoon and evening. A stronger wave, may produce more widespread severe weather in the central and southern Plains later on Thursday, possibly lingering into early Friday.

Several days of severe weather are expected across the Plains States this week. Image provided by Pivotal Weather.

In the Northeast, a dry spring has resulted in drought conditions developing, especially parts of eastern New England. Rainfall totals for the year are running 2-5 inches below normal, with much of that deficit occurring over the past 2 months. A cold front will move into the region on Wednesday, stalling out as it moves through, with a wave of low pressure riding along the front Wednesday night and early Thursday. This should bring some beneficial rain into the area, with widespread totals of 0.50″-1.00″ expected, and some heavier amounts likely.

Much-needed rainfall is expected in parts of the Northeast Wednesday into Thursday. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

The Week Ahead: May 23-29, 2022

As we approach Memorial Day, a summer-like weather pattern is setting up across the nation.

A frontal boundary extending from the Southwest to the East Coast will be the main focus for the next few days. Image provided by NOAA.

A ridge of high pressure will settle into parts of the West and Southwest by mid-week, allowing warm to hot weather to return to parts of California and the Desert Southwest. The hot weather will only last a few days, but several record highs are possible across interior California, where highs in the upper 90s and 100s are likely. Triple digit highs are also expected across the Southwest, including Phoenix, Tucson, and possibly Las Vegas as well. By the end of the week, the ridge will shift eastward, with cooler weather returning to California while heat shifts back into the Southern Plains and Texas.

Some record highs are possible across parts of California by midweek. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

Before the heat returns to Texas, severe weather is possible across parts of the Lone Star State over the next several days. A frontal boundary will be stalled out across the region today into Tuesday, producing showers and thunderstorms, some strong to severe, across central and southern portions of the state. By mid-week, a low pressure area will develop along the front and head northeastward, spreading showers and thunderstorms into eastern parts of the state and into the Mississippi Valley.

Severe weather and heavy rain are possible from Texas and the Southern Plains into the Southeast over the next several days. Image provided WeatherBell.

Severe weather isn’t the only threat with that frontal boundary. Heavy rain is likely from Texas and the Southern Plains into the Southeast over the next several days as showers and thunderstorms continue to develop and move across parts of the region. Many locations could pick up 2 to 4 inches of rain this week, with some places seeing 5 or more inches. While this will help a bit with the drought in parts of the region (notably Texas), too much rain in a short period doesn’t help, and likely will lead to flooding in many areas.

The Week Ahead: May 16-22, 2022

We’ve got elements of Spring, Summer, and Winter coming up across parts of the nation this week.

A frontal system stretching from Texas to the Great Lakes will impact the weather to start the week. Image provided by NOAA.

Record heat is likely from the Southern Plains into Texas over the next couple of days, spreading across the Gulf Coast and into the Southeast by midweek, then spreading up into the Mid-Atlantic states later this week and into the Northeast by the end of the week. High temperatures will be well into the 90s, with triple digits expected across portions of Texas and New Mexico, and possibly into southern Oklahoma as well. Relief may arrive across parts of the Southern Plains and Texas by the weekend, but until then mid-summer heat and humidity are expected.

Dozens of record highs are likely across the South and eventually the East this week. Images provided by WeatherBell.

Across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, today will be a warm day, but not as warm as later in the week. However, a strong cold front will be approaching the region, with a severe weather outbreak expected ahead of the front. Thunderstorms will likely move across the Appalachians during the morning, reaching the I-95 corridor during the late afternoon hours, before the cold front moves offshore during the evening. Any storms that do form may produce hail, damaging winds, heavy downpours, and tornadoes, especially from the Virginia Tidewater northward into parts of eastern New York and western New England.

Severe weather is expected today from North Carolina to New England. Image provided by Pivotal Weather.

Another storm system will bring some rain and mountain snow into parts of the Pacific Northwest by midweek. While the rain won’t be exceptionally heavy, every little bit helps, as drought conditions persist, especially east of the Cascades. As that system moves eastward, it will bring rain into parts of the Northern Plains late this week. Unlike the Northwest, drought is not a problem there, but flooding is, so the rain will not be welcome. Many rivers remain above flood stage across the Dakotas, especially the Red River, so the rain, which could total an inch or more, will worsen flooding across the region. As the system passes by, colder air settles in behind it, with some snow possible in parts of North Dakota. While this is getting very late in the season for snow, it has happened before, with many locations in northern and eastern North Dakota recording measurable snow as late as the final week of May in the past.

The Week Ahead: May 9-15, 2022

Extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, will grab most of the attention this week.

While the surface map looks crowded to start the week, there’s not a lot of active weather out there. Image provided by NOAA.

A large ridge of high pressure will dominate the eastern two thirds of the nation this week, resulting in very warm to hot weather for much of the region. High temperatures well into the 80s and 90s are likely from the Plains States into the Mississippi Valley over the next few days, with dozens of record highs likely. Triple-digit temperatures are possible across parts of Texas. As the week goes on, the heat will spread to the East Coast. By the end of the week and start of next week, temperatures in the 80s are expected as far north as parts of Quebec and Ontario.

Record highs are likely in many locations across the Plains States and Mississippi Valley this week. Images provided by WeatherBell.

Meanwhile, much colder air will settle into the West. Temperatures will be 10-20 degrees below normal across much of the region through mid-week, with record lows possible in many locations. The chilly weather will be accompanied by rain and mountain snow from the Northwest into northern California. This is good news after a dry winter, as it will help build up the snowpack before the melt season begins in earnest.

Very chilly weather may result in record lows in several locations across the Northwest and California on Tuesday. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

By Thursday, severe weather will be possible across parts of the Northern and Central Plains as a low pressure system moves into the region. Some of the storms that develop could produce hail, strong winds, and tornadoes. In addition, heavy rain is likely to accompany the system, which will exacerbate flooding across the region, particularly in the Red River Valley, where major flooding continues to occur.

There is a risk for severe weather on Thursday across the Northern and Central Plains. Image provided by Pivotal Weather.

The other thing we’re keeping our eyes on is the low pressure system that brought heavy rain and cool conditions to the Mid-Atlantic states over the weekend. It has moved offshore, and is expected to slowly drift southward over the next few days, milling around off the Carolina coast by mid-week. It could produce a few showers right along the coast, but for the most part, it should remain offshore. However, by later in the week, it will start to drift westward, towards the Southeast coast, spreading some rainfall toward the region. Some of the forecast models are showing the potential for it to acquire some tropical or subtropical characteristics as it does so. Sea surface temperatures are still a bit on the cool side (72-77F) for any tropical development, but in recent years we’ve seen some subtropical systems develop over the western Atlantic as we head into mid-May (whether they were actually subtropical or not is a debate we won’t get into at this time). Hurricane Season officially begins June 1 in the Atlantic.

If a tropical system were to develop in mid-May, the Caribbean or the waters north and east of the Bahamas are likely spots. Image provided by the National Hurricane Center.

The Week Ahead: April 25 – May 1, 2022

April will end on a fairly quiet note across much of the nation.

A strong cold front will be the primary weather-maker for the next day or two. Image provided by NOAA.

A strong cold front will move across the Eastern US over the next day or two. It may produce some strong to severe thunderstorms today from Texas to the Great Lakes, but a widespread severe weather event is not expected. Some storms may produce gusty winds, hail, heavy downpours, and possibly a tornado. As the system reaches the East Coast on Tuesday, it will produce some showers and thunderstorms, but again, severe weather is not likely.

A few severe storms are possible ahead of a cold front from the Great Lakes to Texas today. Image provided by Pivotal Weather.

Across the West, the lack of rain will be cause for concern this week. The rainy season is nearly over, and little to no rainfall is expected this week across much of the Southwest, Great Basin, and California. A severe drought remains in progress across the region, and the lack of rainfall, combined with gusty winds later this week, will result in an increased threat for wildfires. Several large fires are already burning in parts of the region, and the dry weather will not help.

Drought conditions continue across the western half of the nation. Image provided by the National Drought Mitigation Center.

The other thing we’re watching this week is some unseasonably cool weather that will spread across the eastern two thirds of the nation. The chilly weather will continue across the Plains states today in the wake of this past weekend’s storm system. Temperatures will be 10 to 20 degrees below normal from parts of Texas to the Great Lakes today. with parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota seeing temperatures as much as 30 degrees below normal. While the chilly air will persist in the Northern Plains for the next few days, temperatures will start to moderate across the Central and Southern Plains while the chilly air slides eastward while moderating. The colder air will settle into parts of the Great Lakes and Northeast by Wednesday, and may remain in place through the weekend, though the coldest days look to be Wednesday and Thursday, when anomalies of 10-15 degrees below normal are likely across the region. A few record lows are possible each morning this week.

The Week Ahead: April 11-17, 2022

Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but we’ve got a multi-day severe weather outlook to start the upcoming week.

A couple of storm systems will impact the nation this week. Image provided by NOAA.

A low pressure system will move across the Southern Plains states today, producing showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms may become strong to severe from parts of central Texas northeastward into the Middle Mississippi Valley. The main threat with these storms will be large hail, but some storms may also produce strong winds, heavy downpours, and tornadoes. This is just the start of what is to come.

Yet another multi-day severe weather outbreak is likely to start the week. Image provided by Pivotal Weather.

A stronger storm will develop across the central Rockies on Tuesday, heading toward the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest on Wednesday. Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected across a very large area as warm, humid air flows northward from the Gulf of Mexico ahead of the storm and much colder air settles southward from Canada behind it. That airmass may produce some record highs across southern Texas during Tuesday and Wednesday, with temperatures in the upper 90s and lower 100s across the Rio Grande Valley.

Triple-digit highs may set a few records in south Texas on Tuesday. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

On Tuesday the severe weather threat exists from eastern Texas and the eastern Plains States into much of the Mississippi Valley. By Thursday, the threat will shift eastward slightly, continuing across the Mississippi Valley, and spread into parts of the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys. Many storms will produce large hail, damaging winds, torrential downpours, and tornadoes. The threat will shift into the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states by Thursday, but on a more limited basis.

To the north, as the system moves into Northern Plains later Tuesday, snow will develop in parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota as well as south-central Canada. Snow will become heavy and winds will increase, resulting in blizzard conditions across parts of the region, The system will slow down, with snow and gusty winds continuing through the day on Wednesday and possibly into early Thursday. Snowfall totals of 1-2 feet are possible in parts of the region, but wind gusts of up to 50 mph will create significant blowing and drifting snow.

The potential exists for significant snow across the Northern Plains this week. Image provided by WeatherBell.

Behind the storm, a much colder airmass will settle into Rockies and Plains states, Temperatures will be as much as 15 to 30 degrees below normal for Wednesday and Thursday. Some record lows are possible in parts of the Northern Rockies and Northern Plains during the latter half of the week as temperatures drop into the single numbers and teens across a large area.

Heavy rain is expected across parts of the Northwest and Northern California this week. Image provided by Weathermodels.com

Out West, a series of low pressure systems will bring heavy rain and mountain snow to parts of the Pacific Northwest and Northern California this week. The first system moves in today and will be the strongest one, and will eventually become the system mentioned above that produces severe weather and blizzard conditions across the nation’s mid-section. A second system follows for Tuesday into early Wednesday, followed by a third one on Thursday. Rainfall totals of 1-3 inches and locally heavier are possible, especially near the coast from southern Washington into northern California. Heavy snow is likely across the Cascades and Sierra Nevada, as well as the coastal ranges. Many places could pick up anywhere from 1-3 feet of snow, with parts of the Cascades likely receiving even more than 3 feet. Across the Inland northwest, many places could see more than a foot of snow as the system pushes inland. It’s been a very dry winter for the most part across the West, so the rain and snow will be welcome news across the region as the dry season is quickly approaching.

The Week Ahead: April 4-10, 2022

Another multi-day severe weather outbreak is expected across the southern tier of states this week thanks to a pair of storm systems.

Low pressure moving into the Southern Plains will help produce severe weather over the next few days. Image provided by NOAA.

Low pressure will move out of the Plains states and into the Mississippi Valley today. Ahead of the system, another round of strong to severe thunderstorms is expected from the southern Plains and Texas into the Lower Mississippi Valley. Many of the storms will produce large hail, damaging winds, heavy downpours and tornadoes. As the system heads eastward, the severe weather threat will shift to the Gulf Coast and the Southeast on Tuesday. While the activity may not be as strong or as widespread, severe storms are still expected across much of the region. That system will move off the East Coast late Tuesday, bringing some rain, possibly heavy, to parts of the Mid-Atlantic states and into the Northeast.

Severe weather is expected across the southern tier of states over the next several days. Image provided by Pivotal Weather.

Another storm quickly follows on Wednesday, with the threat of severe weather returning to the Tennessee Valley and Deep South. Once again, some of the storms may produce damaging winds, hail, heavy downpours, and tornadoes. This threat will shift into the Mid-Atlantic states by Thursday. Another round of heavy rain is also likely from the Mid-Atlantic into the Northeast on Thursday, which could lead to some localized flooding. Parts of the region have been somewhat dry recently, with drought conditions beginning to show up in some areas, so the rain will be good news.

Drought conditions are beginning to show up across parts of the Northeast. Image provided by the National Drought Mitigation Center.

While the rain is good news for the developing drought, for some places in the Northeast, the rain will not be a welcome sight on Thursday, as it is Opening Day for Major League Baseball in 9 cities across the nation. The rain will threat to wipe out at least two of those games, when the Boston Red Sox visit the New York Yankees, and Washington Nationals host the New York Mets. At the very least, significant rain delays are possible. Rain could also cause some delays in Chicago, where the Cubs open up against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The baseball season opens a little later than normal this coming Thursday. Image provided by MLB.com

Meanwhile, in the Northern Plains and the Upper Midwest, a slow-moving storm system, both at the surface and aloft, will take its time crossing the region later this week. Some occasional rain showers are likely, eventually changing over to snow as colder air settles in. Several inches of snowfall accumulation possible from the Dakotas into the northern Great Lakes, spread out over several days, with some locations possible seeing as much as 8-12 inches of snow by the time everything winds down at the end of the week.