At the start of the weekend, temperatures will be mild compared to the past few days. The South in particular will be fairly pleasant, with temperatures reaching the 60s and even the 70s in some places.
A cold front is forecast to progress across the western half of the country over the weekend, reaching the Plains states by Sunday. Temperatures will be cold behind the front, with some places seeing highs below freezing.
On Friday and Saturday, showers and thunderstorms east of an upper level low are forecast to affect parts of the Desert Southwest. The SPC has a Marginal Risk for southeast Arizona and far southwest New Mexico for hail and wind. The instability is fairly low, but the strong shear and lift east of the trough could support a threat for isolated hail and wind in places where instability is a bit higher. Still, at this point I would not expect a widespread severe risk.
Showers and thunderstorms are also forecast to form ahead of the cold front on Sunday, extending from Texas and Louisiana up to the northern Plains/Midwest states. It is too early at this point to determine whether a severe risk will be present. Snow is also possible in some of the northern Plains states.
