Weather

Cold air will linger Friday from the Upper Midwest to New England and the Mid-Atlantic. The jet stream will continue to dip to the south, allowing an Alberta clipper storm to move from the northern Plains to the Great Lakes and the central Appalachians. This will result in snow, which should be much lighter and spottier than the snowfall on Wednesday and early Thursday. A few bands of heavier lake-effect snow are also expected, especially in areas within a few dozen miles of the lakes.

Clouds and showers will stretch from North Florida to South Texas. A storm is projected to develop over Texas this weekend, bringing soaking rain across a large part of the south-central states, especially the lower Mississippi Valley.

Most areas from the Mid-Atlantic and New England coasts to the Tennessee Valley, the central and southern Plains, the Rockies and the Southwest can expect a dry day, with at least partial sunshine. Winds are expected to ease over Southern California.

In the Northwest, a storm will bring rain and mountain snow to Washington and western Oregon. Stagnant air and freezing fog will linger over the Great Basin.

FOCUS: Stormy Conditions For Christmas Weekend

The weather pattern is expected to turn stormy from the southern Rockies to the Northeast over the Christmas holiday weekend. Snow is projected from the central Rockies to the Great Lakes, with rain from the southern Plains to the Middle Atlantic.