Overview
- Unseasonably warm air persists through Saturday with near‑record highs in spots, including a forecast near 68 in Cincinnati and a possible daily record around 56 in Detroit, with 70s to 80s inland around Jacksonville.
- Kansas City is forecast for a Thursday soaking with widespread 0.5 to 1 inch of rain and pockets over 1.5 inches, with a few thunderstorms possible.
- Strong winds accompany the pattern, including 50 to 70 mph gusts reported in Montana’s Beartooth‑Absaroka foothills creating hazardous travel and elevated grass‑fire risk.
- Freeze‑thaw hazards continue as daytime melting gives way to nighttime refreeze and patchy freezing fog, following New England’s earlier freezing rain that prompted school delays and slick roads.
- A sharp weekend cooldown is expected to flip rain to snow or a wintry mix in several regions, with significant mountain totals possible, including 6 to 12 inches on south‑ and west‑facing Beartooth‑Absaroka slopes and higher amounts on peaks.