Weather

Temperatures will begin to rebound in the Northeast on Wednesday, with partial sunshine. This will kick off a warm spell, which is expected to last for several days and to be most significant in the Middle Atlantic. Rain and wet snow will extend across the Great Lakes to northern New York state.

Most areas from the East Coast to the central and southern Plains and the Southwest can expect dry weather and sunshine. Spotty showers and thunderstorms will affect South Florida. Warmth will surge across the Central States on gusty southwest winds. The wind, dryness and warmth will increase the risk of wildfires and blowing dust from the Southwest to the southern and central High Plains.

Rain and wet snow are expected to develop over the northern Rockies and expand east across the northern Plains. A storm will move ashore in the Northwest, bringing drenching rain and high-country snow. As the system pushes inland, snow will spread to lower elevations of the Cascades, the northern Sierra Nevada and the Rockies. By the end of the week, the storm will produce heavy snow, with blizzard conditions over the northern Plains and severe thunderstorms in the Mississippi Valley.

FOCUS: Surge of Warmth Into the East

South-to-southwest winds are expected to usher much warmer air into the Ohio Valley, the Middle Atlantic and southern New England on Friday and Saturday. South of the warm front, temperatures will rise well into the 70s and approach 80 degrees.