Following a pleasant early spring day, a strong cold front will lead to heavy convective rain showers changing over to brief intense snow showers with embedded snow squalls and thunder this evening into the early overnight hours, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Besides locally near white out conditions, the precipitation and sharply falling

temperatures will lead to a risk of flash freeze conditions, forecasters say.

There will be a high today around 49 with partly sunny skies and wind gusts as high as 36 mph, NWS says. Snow and rain will be heaviest tonight between 11 p.m.and 1 a.m. with thunder possible. The overnight low will be around 19.

This is followed by unseasonably cold weather on Thursday, NWS says. Much milder weather will arrive by Saturday with highs in the 50s and 60s, and periods of mainly rain will occur Friday afternoon through Saturday.

Quieter and more seasonable conditions return on Sunday into early next week, the service says.

The extended forecast through Tuesday is as follows:

Thursday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 35. West wind 10 to 13 mph.

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 24. Southwest wind 7 to 9 mph.

Friday

Rain likely, mainly after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 43. South wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday Night

Rain and snow, becoming all rain after 7pm. Low around 41. South wind 10 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday

Rain before 3pm, then showers after 3pm. High near 58. Breezy, with a south wind 18 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 39 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Saturday Night

Rain and snow showers before 11pm, then a chance of snow showers between 11pm and 3am. Low around 19. Breezy, with a northwest wind 15 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday

Sunny, with a high near 37. Northwest wind around 13 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.

Sunday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. West wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.

Monday

A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. South wind 7 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Monday Night

A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph.

Tuesday

A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 49. West wind 5 to 8 mph.