First in a series of wintry events likely late this weekend
A changing hemispheric pattern will lead to the development of an active, colder regime across the Northern 1/3 of the United States. Changes are already afoot, and are expected to continue developing through this weekend. A large ridge building near Alaska will begin forcing arctic air southwards into Canada, suppressing the jet stream in the United States and allowing colder air to seep into the Northern 1/3 of the country.
An active jet stream pattern is expected to continue to bring disturbances into the United States with relative frequency. The first arrives late this weekend into early next week, and forecast models have come into relative agreement on the storm system’s evolution. There are still considerable uncertainties regarding track and intensity, all of which will have major impacts on sensible weather.