May Will Begin With Warmer Temperatures in the East, Storms in the Midwest and a Wet, Cool Northwest

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May's first weekend will bring a brief bout of expanding warmth to the East, as well as wet conditions to parts of the Midwest and Northwest.

Tease of Spring Warmth

Highs will surge above average for a brief time in the South and Northeast into Sunday. Temperatures will top out this weekend in the lower 70s in Detroit and New York for the first time since April 8 and March 20, respectively.

The spring warmth will only be a tease, since a cold front is likely to drive temperatures below average in these areas early next week. That's a sign of things to come. Cooler-than-average temperatures are favored in the Great Lakes and Northeast throughout much of the first half of May.

(MORE: May 2020 Temperature Outlook)

In the South, many cities from Texas to the Gulf Coast will warm up into early next week.

Parts of western Texas will have highs near or above 100 degrees. Areas from Louisiana to southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, southern Georgia and Florida could experience temperatures rising into the upper 80s or lower 90s, as the heat moves eastward into early next week.

Northeast Dry Break as Storms Move into Midwest

After a brief dry out, showers will overspread much of the Northeast Saturday night and a few showers will linger in northern New England. Some showers or thunderstorms could develop in the mid-Atlantic states Sunday.

The next weather system will move into the Midwest during the latter half of the weekend.

It will spread showers and storms from the Central Plains into mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys by Saturday night. The wet weather could last into Sunday from the mid-Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley and central Appalachians. A few thunderstorms could be strong to severe, with large hail and damaging winds, this weekend.

Wet, Cool Northwest

The Northwest will experience wet and cool conditions during the first weekend of May.

After a soggy Saturday for many, showers and thundershowers will continue in western Washington and northwestern Oregon, as well as in parts of the northern Rockies, on Sunday.

Snowfall is also expected from this system above 4,000 feet in elevation in the Washington and Oregon Cascades.

The moisture is needed, since parts of the Northwest are currently classified as abnormally dry or in drought. That's especially true since May typically marks the beginning of the Pacific Northwest's transition into the late-spring and summer dry season.

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