East to get warm- up, but West more winter

The final few days of April will see a wild potpourri of weather across the nation, from near- record warmth in portions of the East, to a potential big snowstorm in the Rockies and a major outbreak of severe thunderstorms and flooding rains in parts of the central U. S.

In the Mid- Atlantic and Northeast, a dramatic warm- up is forecast Thursday as highs soar into the 80s from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia and Washington. A handful of record highs may be challenged Thursday afternoon, including Buffalo ( 84 degrees) and Rochester, N. Y., ( 86 degrees), weather. com reported.

Many spots will be 10 to 20 degrees above average with temperatures more typical of June than April. Both Washington and Philadelphia could record their first 90degree day of the year by Saturday.

A northward bulge in the jet stream will cause the unusual warmth, AccuWeather said. South of the jet stream, temperatures tend to be much warmer than average.

While the East will see a summer preview, folks in the western mountains will deal with snow.

Enough snow may fall that residents in parts of Colorado, Wyoming and northern New Mexico could need shovels and plows by Saturday afternoon, AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun said.

Denver could see at least 6 inches of snow. Flight delays, including at Denver International Airport, and slippery and snow- covered stretches of interstates 25 and 70 are possible, AccuWeather said.

Localized blizzard conditions may occur as well as sporadic power outages. Temperatures will run about 20 to 30 degrees below normal Saturday, Rathbun said.

Springtime snow isn’t unusual in Denver, according to the National Weather Service.

Meanwhile, severe thunderstorms are forecast to fire up across the central and southeastern U. S. by week’s end and into the weekend, the Storm Prediction Center said.