Above average temperatures are expected over much of California and the Great Basin, Washington State, Idaho and Montana, and south of a line drawn from Boston to extreme SW Texas. Cooler than average temperature are expected in the immediate vicinity of the Great Lakes, northern Minnesota and the northern Plains. The jet stream lifts north into Canada and although a relatively weak trough develops over the SW during the period, the first of the summer-like ridges develops over the east bringing well above average temps to nearly all of the eastern half of the country by April 10th. Elsewhere near normal temperatures are anticipated for the period. This is a great shift from what we've experienced during the last several months: a warm ridge in the west an a broad, cold trough in the east and truly represents the real start of the injection season this year.

This week is like Dec-Jan 1944/45 for Germany as far as winter is concerned: a last "bulge" of cold air is invading from Canada and slamming south, rolling back warm air to a line from North Texas to South Carolina and pushing off the east coast by Tuesday morning. Violent Thunderstorms will break out along and in advance of the front over much of TX and the SE today and tomorrow. However, as fast as the cold air has arrived, it will be pushed back and will retreat, along with the jet stream, north into Canada by next weekend. Winter, with its back broken, will not be able to regroup and mount a similar attack this season. This weeks injection to be reported on Thursday April 4th should be well above average reflecting last week's snowstorm across the Midwest and parts of the East. April 11th's report will be the final extraction of the year due to winter's last stand this week. Consumption of NG by mid April will weaken considerably, and large injections will begin in earnest.