Short Term and Intermediate-Term Weather Outlooks for the U.S. and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: posted December 15, 2023

This article focuses on what we are paying attention to in the next 48 to 72 hours. The article also includes weather maps for longer-term outlooks and a six-day World weather outlook which can be very useful for travelers.

We start with the U.S. Information. That is the longest part of the article. Then we have a short section on World Weather and then we address the Tropics. When there are tropical storms that might impact the U.S.  we provide more detailed information which updates frequently on those storms.

Please click on “Read More” below to access the full report as I have moved the highlights into the body of the report where it is followed by the Today, Tomorrow and the Next Day maps and a lot more. I will try to feature the most important graphic in the lede paragraph on the home page.  But there are often multiple maps that are very important so it is best to read the full article. We now have a snow report and it is possible to get a ten-day NWS forecast for the zip code of your choice.

Notices: We recently published a review of October weather worldwide and you can access that article HERE. And a review of October weather for the U.S. which you can access HERE.  We have now published the NOAA Seasonal Update which you can access HERE.  This was followed up with the update of the Mid-December Outlook which you can access HERE. What would you like to learn about? Please provide that to me via the comment section at the end of the article.

First the highlights from the NWS.

Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
Fri Dec 15 2023
Valid 12Z Fri Dec 15 2023 – 12Z Sun Dec 17 2023

…There is a Slight Risk of excessive rainfall over parts of southern
Georgia and Florida on Saturday…

…There is a Slight Risk of severe thunderstorms over parts of Florida on
Saturday…

…Light snow over parts of the Midwest..

Now more detail on the 48-Hour Forecast (It is a 48 to 72 Hour Forecast actually)

Daily weather maps. The Day 1 map updates twice a day and the Day 2 and 3 maps update only once a day. These maps update automatically. But if that does not happen, you can get updates by clicking HERE

TODAY (or late in the day the evening/overnight map will appear) (Key to surface fronts shown on maps and you will then also be able to insert a city name or zip code and get a local NWS forecast).

TOMORROW

NEXT DAY

This animation shows how things may play out over the next 60 hours. To update click here.

The NWS Climate Prediction Center’s: Watches, Warnings, and Advisories plus other information can be found HERE. We post at least one of those updates daily, sometimes both. The Highlights are shown in the lede paragraph of this article.

ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS

This tells us what is approaching the West Coast. Click HERE to update If I have not gotten around to doing the update.   Here is some useful information about Atmospheric Rivers.

Continuation of the NWS Short Range Forecast. It is updated by NWS twice a day and these updates can be found here

A wave of low pressure over Texas will slowly move northeastward to the
Upper Great Lakes by Sunday. The system will produce showers and
thunderstorms over parts of the Southern Plains on Friday and into the
Lower Mississippi Valley by Saturday. Light rain will develop over parts
of the Central Plains, likewise on Friday, moving into the Middle
Mississippi Valley by Saturday.

Further, a second wave of low pressure over the Northern Plains will
slowly move eastward to the Upper Great Lakes by Sunday. The system will
produce light rain and snow over parts of the Upper Midwest on Friday,
with a few isolated pockets of rain/freezing rain. The rain and snow will
move into the Upper Great Lakes by Sunday.

Meanwhile, easterly flow off the Atlantic will create light rain along the
east coast of Florida on Friday. A third wave of low pressure developing
along a stationary front over the Gulf of Mexico will move onshore over
the west coast of Florida on Saturday afternoon. The low pressure will aid
in streaming moisture over parts of Florida on Saturday into Sunday. The
moisture will aid in producing showers and thunderstorms with heavy rain
over parts of Florida. Therefore, the WPC has issued a Slight Risk of
excessive rainfall over parts of southern Georgia and Florida from
Saturday into Sunday morning.

The associated heavy rain will create mainly localized areas of flash
flooding, with urban areas, roads, and small streams the most vulnerable.

In addition, the showers and thunderstorms are intense enough to produce
severe thunderstorms. Therefore, the SPC has issued a Slight Risk of
severe thunderstorms over parts of the Florida Peninsula on Saturday into
Sunday morning. The hazards associated with these thunderstorms are
frequent lightning, severe thunderstorm wind gusts, few tornadoes, and a
minimal threat of hail.

Learn about wave patterns HERE.

Below is the current five-day cumulative forecast of precipitation (Updates can be found HERE)

Ski SnowReports

New Feature – Ski Reports. It is difficult to find reports that auto-update on-screen (and they are very long) but these links will get you to them – If you have additional suggestions make them in the comments section after every Econcurrents Article and we may add those links. We will try to not have too much overlap as that can add to the confusion.

Snow Forecasts.  And remember this shows natural snow. Ski resorts also make their own snow.

Day 1

https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wwd/day1_psnow_gt_04.gif

Day 2

https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wwd/day2_psnow_gt_04.gif

Additional snow information can be found here and here. The second link provides animations.

Now we look at Intermediate-Term “Outlook” maps for three time periods. Days 6 – 10, Days 8 – 14, and Weeks 3 and 4.  An outlook differs from a forecast based on how NOAA uses these terms in that an “outlook” presents information as deviation from normal and the likelihood of these deviations.

Below are the links to obtain updates and additional information. They are particularly useful if you happen to be reading this article significantly later than when it was published. I always try to provide readers with the source of the information in my articles.

Days 6 – 10 (shown in Row 1) Days 8 – 14 (Shown in Row 2) Weeks 3 and 4 (Shown in Row 3 but updates only on Fridays)
https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa. gov/products/predictions/610day/ https://www.cpc.ncep   .noaa.gov/products/predictions/814day/ https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/WK34/

Showing the actual maps. They should now update automatically. The Week 3 – 4 Outlook only updates on Fridays. So below is what I call the Intermediate-term outlook. On Fridays, it extends out 28 Days. That declines day by day so on Thursday it only looks out 22 days until the next day when the Week 3 – 4 Outlook is updated and this extends the outlook by one additional week.

6–

10

 

8–

14

3–

4

HAZARDS OUTLOOKS

Click here for the latest complete Day 3 -7 Hazards forecast which updates only on weekdays.  Once a week probably Monday or Tuesday I will update the images. I provided the link for readers to get daily updates on weekdays. Use your own judgment to decide if you need to update these images. I update almost all the images Friday Night for the weekend edition of this Weather Report.  So normally readers do not need to update these images but if the weather is changing quickly you may want to.

 

Daily Agricultural Weather Highlights can be found HERE

Month to Date Information

Temperature month to date can be found at https://hprcc.unl.edu/products/maps/acis/MonthTDeptUS.png

Precipitation month to date can be found at  https://hprcc.unl.edu/products/maps/acis /MonthPNormUS.png

World Forecast

Below are the Day 1 -3 and 4-6  forecasts for temperature and precipitation. Updates and much additional information can be obtained HERE

World Temperature Anomalies

 

World Accumulated Precipitation

This information is provided by the University of Maine. They draw upon many different sources. There is a lot of information available at the link provided. I have just provided two useful forecasts. There are probably over a hundred different forecasts available from this source.

Worldwide Tropical Forecast (This is a NOAA Product)

This graphic updates on Tuesdays) If it has not been updated, you can get the update by clicking here  Readers will only have to do that if they are reading this article much later than the date of it being published.

Information on Tropical Storms can be found HERE.  Western Pacific information can be found HERE.

 

 

 I hope you found this article interesting and useful.

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