In the West, a powerful Pacific storm is pounding northern and central Californiawith heavy rain and snow, while lighter showers dot the Northwest. Moisture is generally beneficial for pastures and winter grains, as well as high elevation snow packs. According to the California Department of Water Resources, the average water content of the Sierra Nevada snow pack stood at 10 inches on February 20—just 44 percent of normal for the date.
On the Plains, mild, dry weather continues to erode winter wheat’s protective snow cover but ease stress on livestock. Today’s high temperatures will range from 65 to 80 degrees F on the southern Plains.
In the Corn Belt, cooler, windy conditions are developing in the wake of a cold front’s passage. Fields remain unfavorably soggy in the eastern Corn Beltdue to previously wet conditions and recent melting of ice and snow.
In the South, warm, dry weather favors planting preparations and other spring fieldwork.
Outlook: For today, rain and snow will continue to spread southward across Californiaand farther inland across the Intermountain West. Meanwhile, windy conditions will spread across the Midwestand Northeast, accompanied by some snow showers. By Friday, showers and thunderstorms associated with a developing storm will erupt from the eastern Plains southward to the western GulfCoast. During the weekend, this significant and potentially dangerous storm will produce widespread snow, sleet, and freezing rain from the Midwest into the northeast, while locally severe thunderstorms will sweep across the South. More than one foot of snow, driven by high winds, may blanket parts of the upper Midwest, while substantial ice accumulations may occur from Iowa into Ohio. Ice may also glaze parts of the Mid-Atlantic region. The NWS 6- to 10-day outlook for February 27 - March 3 calls for below-normal temperatures across much of the central and western U.S., while warmer-than-normal weather will be confined to northern New England. Meanwhile, wetter-than-normal conditions across the northern half of the U.S.will contrast with mostly dry weather across the southern Plains and the Southwest.
