US Weather Forecast Shows Risk of Severe Thunderstorms, Critical Fire Weather, and Heavy Snow This Weekend: NOAA – NWS

Extreme weather conditions, including thunderstorms, fire weather, and snow are expected again across the country, as per the latest forecast by US meteorologists.

Heavy rain and flooding, as well as life-threatening and disruptive risks, are also at stake.

Latest Short-Range Forecast

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - National Weather Service (NWS) on the afternoon of Saturday, April 16, issued a new weather forecast which is valid from Sunday to Tuesday, April 17 to April 19.

The forecast highlightee the risk of renewed heavy snow in the Northern Plains.

Torrential rain and severe thunderstorms are also likely in some parts of the Central Gulf Coast, Lower Mississippi Valley, and Southeast.

The tendency for another critical fire weather is high in multiple areas of the Southern Rockies and the Central High Plains.

Heavy Snowfall

A series of Pacific storms will navigate toward the Western US, bringing valley rain and mountain snow with related occurrences in the Northern Plains on Sunday.

In the meantime, the weather system will produce rainfall in coastal, low-lying, and high-altitude areas in the Great Basin, Northern Rockies, and the Pacific Northwest on Saturday evening.

In the coming hours, the rain will be converted to snow over the Rockies, central/northern High Plains, and the Middle Mississippi Valley.

Heavy snow in the upper portions of the Plains, Valley, and the Rockies has been forecasted from Sunday morning.

Related rain and snow will continue in the region before it shifts toward the lower-upper Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley on Monday.

Severe Storms

The US weather agency's short-range forecast discussion indicated that low pressure over the Northern Rockies will slowly traverse eastward to the Great Lakes and its surrounding regions, including the Lower Mississippi Valley and the Central Gulf Coast until Sunday morning.

This weather disturbance prompted the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) of the NOAA - NWS to issue a "Slight Risk" of severe thunderstorms in the aforementioned regions.

The SPC highlights the risk of severe thunderstorms, as well as frequent flashes of lightning, thunderstorm-related wind gusts, hail, and a few tornadoes.

The US storm agency also reportedly added that the thunderstorms will be accompanied by a "Marginal Risk" of excessive rainfall in the said regions.

Wildfire Risks

While some parts of the US will be covered with a heavy downpour of rain and snow, the SPC issued a "Critical Risk" of fire weather in the Southern Rockies until Sunday morning.

This will affect the Central High Plains throughout the day, as cited by the NOAA - NWS.

The critical fire weather conditions pose the threat of rapid growth and spread in case a wildfire occurs.

Fire weather hazards are determined by the following climatic factors: dry fuels, gusty winds, and low humidity.

Incoming Nor'easter

In other forecasts, AccuWeather indicated that "a stretch of cool and calm weather" is on its way to the East Coast during the second half of April.

However, a looming Nor'easter will bring a blast of winter storms to the region by the last week of April.

Over recent weeks, the country has experienced a mixture of cold and warm temperatures due to several storm systems, resulting in weather conditions that were supposed to resemble a calm spring season.