Weekend Weather Spotlight: 12-17-21

A few systems affect the country through the weekend producing rain, snow, and maybe a few severe storms. 

First, a front will be draped from AZ/NM to the Mid-Mississippi River Valley to the Mid Atlantic early today and won't move too much through much of the day as a low move into OK. This low makes it in the vicinity of the Hoosier National Forecast. Louisville region by Saturday morning with a cold front southwestward to central TX and a warm front east through southern OH and the northern Virginias. This system then makes it off the New England coast by Sunday morning with the warm front moving through southern New England and the cold front moving through the Southeast. Widespread rain with a few storms is expected with this system to the east of the cold front and south of the warm front with some wintry precipitation to the north of the warm front. Accumulating snows will be a good bet from lower MI to northern New England with the highest totals coming off the lakes and in the higher elevations. A few severe storms are possible today and tonight in north-central TX, southeast OK, and northwest AR with wind gusts the mainly hazard though isolated hail and tornadoes are not completely ruled out. 

Next, a weak system moves from the northern Rockies into the upper Midwest the next few days producing mainly light snow though a few inches of accumulation are possible especially in the northern Rockies and parts of the eastern Dakotas. 

Finally, a strong system begins affecting the Pacific Northwest this evening and continues through the weekend producing widespread rain and snow in this region.