Heavy Snow Warnings Interrupt Spring With Blizzard Conditions: 'Travel Difficult to Impossible'

Even though the Northern Hemisphere has officially been in the spring season since March 20, it sure doesn't feel like it throughout areas of the country still getting hit with historic winter weather warnings and advisories.

Now, the National Weather Service (NWS) is projecting a strong blast of snowfall to continue through the Washington Cascades from Wednesday, March 25, into the end of the week, bringing up to 12 inches of snow. According to weather experts, this storm may bring difficult travel conditions to areas of the Cascades.

"This frontal boundary will be accompanied by wintry precipitation chances across the northern tier today through early Thursday," the National Weather Service said in a statement, "with the potential for several inches of snow in the Cascades and northern Rockies."

Washington State Faces Heavy Snow Warnings of Up to 1 Foot

Specifically, the NWS warns of hazardous travel from Whatcom County to the Okanogan Highlands in Washington state. According to the agency, a winter storm warning means that "travel will become difficult to impossible," so plan accordingly. The winter weather advisory runs through Thursday, March 26, but it could be lengthened if the storm moves slower though the region.

Even areas of the country that aren't getting hit with snow have to brace for severe weather. Starting on Thursday, "showers and thunderstorms are expected from the central Plains to the mid-Atlantic," according to the NWS, and "scattered severe thunderstorms are expected across the Mid-Mississippi and Ohio Valleys on Thursday afternoon and evening."

Severe storms are expected to bring a threat of very large hail of two-plus inches in diameter, severe wind gusts of 70-plus mph and a few strong tornadoes to central Plains to the mid-Atlantic, as well.

Western Parts of the Country Experiencing 'Extreme Heat' With Temperatures of More Than 100 Degrees

Meanwhile, a lengthy and historic heat wave is making its way across the western United States, with the weather experts at AccuWeather telling Men's Journal that the wave will continue through at least Friday, March 27. Expect relief into the weekend, as "a shift in the jet stream is expected to bring cooler air and some relief beginning late this week into the weekend."

"The heat wave has already lasted five to seven days and is forecast to persist through Friday, with a cooling trend beginning late this week and expanding over the weekend as cooler Pacific air moves inland," AccuWeather stated. "Extreme heat is impacting a broad swath of the western U.S., including California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, Texas and Colorado, with expansion into the Plains and Mississippi Valley expected later this week."

So, depending on where you are in the U.S., you're either getting hit with winter storm warnings and advisories or heat warnings. Either way, it's turning out to be a wacky spring.