A wild week... what's next?

This water vapor imagery loop shows the "cutoff low" currently stuck 
in the Mid-South, fueling widespread showers and storms

1:45 PM EDT 3/24/12 (Forecaster Mike Natoli) We had a wild week around the country, but as we head into the weekend, widespread changes are breaking the entrenched weather pattern. 

Calmer in the West  The most recent storm system will fizzle out over Montana on Saturday, just bringing in some light precipitation before pulling out into Canada. However, the next storm will be right on its tail, sliding into northern California Saturday as well. Still, winds are calmer and the storms are weaker than with the last few systems! 

Dry and warm in the middle  As the cutoff low pulls out of the region to the east, the center of the nation will start to dry out, but warm conditions will remain in place! After the ridge off the east coast breaks down, the new ridge over the country looks to be aligned along an axis above west Texas. This will push unseasonably warm but dry conditions back into the Great Plains! 

Wet as it gets in the East This weekend, that low we have been talking about all week with finally reach the east coast, bringing rainfall to much of the east coast. Our featured zone tonight will be the Foot's Forecast | Charlotte & The Metrolina zone because of scattered showers and storms for our Saturday. With clouds overhead, the east will not be as warm as what we have been used to for nearly two weeks of warmth and dry weather.