Weather

An active pattern, temps to vary; very heavy moisture, flooding ahead for the Pacific West

An “atmospheric river” focused on northern California and the Pacific Northwest will continue through the weekend, resulting in precipitation totals as high as 10 to 20 inches.  In northern California, the multi-day precipitation event will help to establish high-elevation snowpack, although low-elevation rain could lead to locally significant river flooding.

During the weekend, precipitation will expand across much of the remainder of the western U.S., with only the southern Rockies and Desert Southwest remaining dry.  Farther east, a slow-moving storm system currently affecting the north-central U.S. will drift generally eastward, reaching the Canadian Maritimes by Saturday. 

Some areas from the Great Lakes States into the Appalachians will experience a prolonged winter-weather event, with wind-driven snow expected to cause local travel disruptions.  Much of the rest of the country—including the central and southern Plains and the middle and lower Mississippi Valley, will observe dry weather during the next 5 days.