USA National Forecast

Early-Week Warmth to Fade Quickly as Pattern Change Ushers in Widespread Cooldown East of Rockies

Cascade Snow To Be Measured In Feet

Mild temperatures will dominate most areas east of the Rockies on Wednesday, but a weather pattern change will deliver an abrupt cooldown later this week that may lock in place for the next week or two.

Some cities in the Plains and Midwest could have temperatures 15 to 25 degrees above early-April averages on Wednesday.

A strong cold front will usher in a weather pattern change and take away this tease of warmth in most areas by late this week.

Temperatures will tumble in the Plains and Midwest Wednesday into Thursday. Much of the South and mid-Atlantic will feel the cooldown arrive by Thursday or Friday. A second blast of colder air will plunge through the Plains and Midwest Easter weekend into early next week.

(MORE: Daily Temperature Forecast Maps)

Highs will rise into the 70s Wednesday in Chicago and Indianapolis. Both of those cities could be 20 or more degrees cooler by Thursday, with highs falling into the lower 50s or upper 40s.

Houston and New Orleans will rise into the upper 80s or even lower 90s midweek before dropping back into the 70s as the week comes to a close. The hot temperatures in New Orleans could be near daily record highs on Wednesday and Thursday.

Washington, D.C., might have highs near or above 70 degrees through Thursday. The cold front will nudge afternoon readings into the 50s as we head into this weekend.

The colder air pushing into the Northeast could allow snowfall to return to interior parts of the region Thursday into Friday. Portions of northern and central Maine might receive more than 6 inches of snow as low pressure strengthens near the state. Wet snowflakes could fly in other parts of northern New England, as well as in western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania.

This cooler temperature pattern in many areas to the east of the Rockies will stick around through mid-April.

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center highlights much of the Plains, Midwest and mid-South as having at least a 70% chance of cooler-than-average temperatures next week. The Florida Peninsula, however, might have to contend with more early-season heat.

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