Weather

Brutally cold winds will continue over the northeastern part of the nation Saturday. A strong flow of air around the storm that hit the Atlantic Coast on Thursday will continue, even though the storm is now north of Labrador, Canada. As this frigid air passes over the Great Lakes, bands of snow will continue downwind as far as parts of the central Appalachians. Within the snow bands, local whiteout conditions may occur with a rapid accumulation on highways. Winds are forecast to diminish Saturday night. Where the sky is clear, over deep snow cover, temperatures are likely to plummet to their lowest levels of the season so far.

Away from the Great Lakes, much of the balance of the Eastern and Central states can expect dry weather and partial sun. High pressure will be centered over Illinois. Temperatures are projected to rebound over the Plains, although a breeze may add some chill over northern areas.

In the West, spotty low-elevation rain and snow and mountain snow showers are in store for inland areas. A weak storm is forecast to become fragmented over the mountains but is also likely to regain some organization and gather moisture over the Central states on Sunday in the form of some snow, ice and rain. A storm over the Pacific is likely to bring drenching rain to California early next week

FOCUS: PATTERN CHANGE NEXT WEEK

The core of the bitterly cold arctic air will retreat back into northern Canada as milder, Pacific air spreads east across the country. Temperatures in the East will trend back to normal during the week.