Lingering storms bring light rain, dusting of snow on Mt. Hamilton

Tonight: Variable cloud cover, an isolated snow shower or two with minor accumulations.

Temperatures will be in the mid-40s on the mainland. Rain totals will likely amount to a half inch. Lows in the mid 40s.

Meanwhile, thereafter, the pattern looks breezy and cooler for Good Friday, with a mostly sunny and pleasant weekend now anticipated for Easter Weekend.

Monday warms up a bit, with forecast highs of 55 degrees, before the sun begins to return Tuesday and Wednesday. “The higher sun angle is going to allow the ground to absorb warmth a little bit more efficiently than if we were in January”, Cassady says. Sunshine will return Tuesday, and we will warm into the 60s. The chilly air will gradually modify: Monday morning will be cold with temperatures in the 20s, but afternoon highs will be in the 40s. The key to having snow “stick” is the fall rate overcoming the melt rate.

Rain and snow will move into parts of the Upper/Middle Mississippi Valley by Friday evening that will continue to expand southeastward into the Ohio Valley into the Central Appalachians by Saturday morning into evening.

By nighttime, heavier rain and snow are expected. Showers will start as rain but as temperatures drop overnight, we will see snow mix in, especially for areas close to I-95. Mixed precipitation is expected locally, with 1 to 3 inches of snow expected along Interstate 74 (including Bloomington-Normal). Even more than 5 inches is possible in southern Virginia. The set up? A dryline hanging out across West Texas. Along the fringe, a coating to 2 inches can develop. However, roads should improve rather quickly during the daylight hours on Sunday. Thursday also have a 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms.