For the third week of April temperatures will be above normal over the Southeast and Southwest, cooler than normal over the Pacific NW and the Great Lakes States (at least in close proximity to the Lakes themselves) , the upper Midwest and Northern Plains, and near normal elsewhere, including the densely populated NE.

This week features the digging-in of a significant trough in the SW and a corresponding push of warmth across most of the east. A strong low currently over northwest Washington State will drive south to Southern Colorado by Monday eve creating near blizzard conditions over the N and Central Rockies, and bringing Denver thunderstorms transitioning to a front-range snowstorm Monday night and Tuesday. Front range locations could pick up 10+ in of snow from this storm. Over central and southern California and the desert SW strong...and occasionally damaging...NW winds will develop today-Monday to the west of the storm. High pressure building into the Great Basin behind the storm will shift the wind direction to NE and create warm, dry Santa Anna conditions over SW California Tuesday-Sunday

Meanwhile, over the east, increasing southerly flow will result in the highest temperatures of the year so far to many large East coast and Ohio Valley centers, including 78F to NYC on Tuesday, 80 to DC Tuesday and Wednesday, and generally mid to upper 70's and low 80's south of a line from Philadelphia to extreme west TX on Tuesday and Wednesday. The storm will weaken and lift to the NE Tuesday-Thursday. As cooler air gradually sags south and east from the Canadian Prairies in the wake of the low, temperatures over the Midwest, northern Ohio Valley and NE will cool off Wednesday thru Friday, but the jet stream will prevent cool air from getting as far south as DC. By next weekend a fairly strong W-E jet stream will trap cool air along and to the N of the the northern tier of states and temperatures over most to the east will climb. This weeks numbers to be reported by EIA should indicate the last extraction of the year; subsequent weeks will be all injections, and NG prices should decline sharply from recent highs.