Five Things To Watch In This Week's Weather

Norfolk Closes Floodgates Ahead Of Nor'easter

This week, many parts of the country will see conditions opposite to what they experienced for most of the winter.

The weather pattern began to shift late last week, leading to colder and more wintry weather in the East and drier, warmer conditions in the West. This trend of more winter-like weather will persist into the week ahead in the East. Meanwhile, much of the West will feel more like spring.

Given the active weather pattern, below are five things to watch this week.

1) Nor'easter Is Likely

Winter Storm Stella will bring another round of snow from the northern Plains into the Midwest through Monday. A second, bigger batch of energy is then expected to intensify off the mid-Atlantic coast Monday night into Tuesday and become a major snowstorm for the Northeast.

The exact track and strength of Winter Storm Stella will determine how much snow accumulates and whether precipitation falls as rain or snow. Gusty winds are also anticipated, which would reduce visibilities in areas of blowing or drifting snow. For full details, see the link below.

(MORE: Winter Storm Stella Forecast)

2) East Stays Cold

A southward dip in the jet stream is allowing cold air to surge southward across the eastern U.S.

Below-average temperatures are likely to continue in the Midwest and East through midweek as the chilly weather pattern persists.

Temperatures will begin to moderate late week in many areas, although the Northeast will likely stay chilly through at least Friday. 

Highs will be 5 to 15 degrees below average for much of the East through at least Thursday. These chilly conditions translate to highs generally in the 20s and 30s for the Midwest and Northeast.

(MAPS: 10-Day Forecast)

Low temperatures will be up to 20 degrees colder than average in the East through the week, with lows dipping into the teens and 20s for much of the Northeast and Midwest. Temperatures may even drop below freezing as far south as Atlanta midweek.

Windy conditions are expected with the possible midweek nor'easter, which will make it feel even colder than what the thermometer reads.

(MORE: Cold Temperatures Have Returned to Northeast, Midwest)

3) Warmth Persists in the West

As the jet stream dips southward in the East, it is pushing northward over the West. This is allowing temperatures to warm up in the West. 

Temperatures will be 10 to 25 degrees above average across the Southwest and into the Great Basin through the week, and this warmth will reach much of the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies by Tuesday.

(MORE: It Is Heating Up in the Southwest)

The warmer-than-average conditions will begin to spread eastward into the Plains and parts of the Midwest late this week.

4) Northwest Remains Wet

A disturbance in the jet stream will bring rain into Monday to northern and western Oregon, Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana. 

Two additional low-pressure systems will approach the Pacific Northwest Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing another round of rain to the region, possibly as far south as parts of northern California.

A brief break in the wet conditions will follow the midweek system, but another area of low pressure may move toward the region late this week.

(MORE: Mild, Wet Winter in the U.S.)

Rainfall totals will be highest in far western Washington, where more than 5 inches of rain may fall through Thursday. Elsewhere across the region, rainfall totals will generally be less than 3 inches.

Warmer temperatures will result in rain falling in some of the higher elevations, with any snow confined to the highest elevations of the Cascades.

5) Late-Week System May Develop

The low-pressure system that will push into the Pacific Northwest Wednesday will move into the central U.S. by late Thursday.

As this system tracks eastward, rain and thunderstorms are expected to develop in the Plains and into the Midwest and South.

The northern fringe of the system may produce some snow, sleet and freezing rain in the upper Midwest and Great Lakes region. There may be enough cold air in portions of the Northeast that wintry precipitation is possible over the weekend.

(MORE: 5 Reasons Why March Weather Frustrates You)

Since this system is a week out, details regarding track, precipitation type and amounts are uncertain, so check back for forecast updates.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Winter Storm Reggie (PHOTOS)