The US is a nation divided, with frigid conditions, snow and ice entrenched east of the Rockies all the way into Florida, and record warmth and paltry snowfall in the West.
The dichotomy has lasted weeks and is finally about to shift – but only after one more major blast of Arctic air this weekend for the East.
This divide sharpened in recent days; parts of the West are seeing late-springlike warmth, with temperatures 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit above average, while parts of the East are set to experience their coldest temperatures so far this season this weekend.
In the warm category is Great Falls, Montana, for example. Residents there are seeing five straight days with a high…