12:33AM: We’re looking at a busy week of storms. High pressure hangs over the mid-Atlantic, with warm air pumping into the Plains. Storms are a consistent threat in the middle of the country for the next few days.

4:55PM With the gusty winds found posrt frontally, and it being as dry as it is regionwide, expect an elevated fire risk for the Plains all week. Red flag warnings are out for many spots

10:53PM Storms are dying out in Texas this evening, but good luck getting sleep. Look at all this lightning

10:35PM: The burden for above normal warmth has shifted to the southeastern US for the time being. Instead of heat out west, there is a chance for mountain snow early next week in the northern Rockies.

7:35PM: There is a “minor heat risk” for the Central Valley in California. At least it’s minor. But what’s this? There is also a winter weather advisory in the Sierras. California contains multitudes.

1:50PM: The map is pretty quiet today. The closest thing to action is this area, being watched by the SPC in Florida. The area could use the rain, so as long as the activity isn’t severe, this might qualify as good news.

7:10PM Happy Easter! One thing to appreciate on this day is that, despite fires developing in California, they have been well contained and remain small. We forecast for Visalia last night, and today, west of town, this little fire, the Lake fire popped up.Not a major concern, but worth noting.

9:11PM High pressure and a slow moving pattern is the story in the west. The forecast from Denver tells the story.

12:30AM: Cold Front!

10:34PM: The SPC does have a hatched area on this evening’s outlook. Here is the hail forecast for you to see the new graphics in action.

2:50PM: It’s hot, and starting to dry out out west. Because this time of year is the time most shortly following the rainy season, it’s not a particularly high time, climatologically, for wildfires. Having the dry heat now, though, doesn’t help down the road.

8:17PM: There is a cold front taunting the hot the sun baked southwest, lined up from northern Idaho to southwest Oregon bringing showers to the Pacific Northwest.

10:52PM The short term forecast isn’t changing. The long term forecast isn’t changing. Above normal temps for a lot of the country (except New England) but that doesn’t necessarily mean “hot” weather. It’s a cool 43, for example, already in Hastings, NE.

11:48PM: I’ll get into it a bit more later, but the SPC has made changes to the site. Like I said, more on the more significant changes soon, but also, there is an updated color palette for the maps, and I am into it.

3:27PM: Well, happy spring. It’s extraordinarily warm out west, but still quite brisk in the northeast. If you have been around meteorology enough, you know what that means!