It’s warming up nicely across much of the Lower 48 with 80s reaching all the way to North Dakota yesterday. It’s looking like Phoenix will see their first 100 today while Las Vegas gets there Monday. Following yesterday’s high of 108, Death Valley may climb into the low 110s either today or tomorrow. If you live in Salt Lake City or Denver, you could well see your first 80s. Can winter be declared over with this taste of late spinr/early summer warmth? The answer is no, in fact, snow can be expected in Denver on Wednesday

The upper ridge is building over the West and extending east through the Plains but yet another system will drop into the Northern Rockies by Tuesday spoiling the party over the Great Basin and Rockies as temperatures and heights fall with readings as much as 40 below those of tomorrow. Folks in Denver who should enjoy the first 80s of the year, could be dealing with more snow on Wednesday and highs only reaching 32 or 33.

Below is the 500mv fort max which shows the upper level energy and you can see the strong winds dropping south into the Northwest US.

The heat dome builds north from Arizona to Utah today through Tuesday but while temps soar towards 80 in SLC and Denver tomorrow, the trough is already dropping south into Montana with temps struggling to get out of the low to mid-30s with wind and snow flakes flying. Between Denver’s 80 tomorrow and 60s Tuesday, a surface system passes south of the Metro on Wednesday and will likely present an accumulating snow AGAIN with temperatures held at 32 or 33. A solid 35 below normal

Here’s the forecasted high’s for Monday according to weather.com

Both Oklahoma City and Wichita should push 90 while Kansas City warm to the mid-80s, St Louis the low 80s.

As for the central Plains, temperatures rise into the mid-80s today, upper 80s/low 90s on Monday and possibly Tuesday from central Texas up through Kansas. St Louis may push 88-90 on Tuesday while Chicago will see their first 80s thanks to strong heights and roaring southwest winds.

Tuesay’s forecast high’s

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Here’s the 500mv vort max for Wednesday

The trough deepens and swings east Wednesday into Thursday, so folks across the central Plains enjoying 80s and 90s Monday-Tuesday, may be back in the 50s and 60s by Thursday and look out on the backside of the strong cold front, not only sharp temperature drops but some snow can be expected.

The GFS is suggesting a very rare early May snow event by midweek.

Check this out..

Here’s a closer look below. 6-12 inches from northwest Missouri up through Iowa and into north-central Wisconsin. Some of these areas will have seen mid to upper 80s just 2 days previously. The GFS is back and fourth with where the heavy snow band sets up but it’s adament in producing a record late season major snow over the Mid-Mississippi Valley.

By 90 hrs or Thursday, the snow band shifts east and even brings accumulating snow into Chicago. The Brazilian model for a good week now has seen snow for May 3rd and the GFS sees it too. This may come following a high Tuesday near 85.

By Friday, highs from Kansas City through St Louis to Chicago could be stuck in the low to mid-40s with even places as far south and west as Oklahoma City struggling to get out of the low 50s following near 90 Monday.

Here’s the GFS 850mb temps for Thursday.

Now that’s an impressive dragger of arctic air all the way to Oklahoma, Missouri and into N Arkansas. Record cold is likely with this, especially if there’s any snow cover beneath the clear skies. Snow lying for any length of time would also be astonishing given the time of year.

This event for both snow and cold looks likely to be historic in so many levels including the fact it’s reaching so far south. See my previopus post from earlier on the snowfall in Spain. A similar type of event is occuring now on the other side of the Atlantic.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bukE2OW_nuM]

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