Short Term and Intermediate-Term Weather Outlooks for the U.S. and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: posted January 1, 2024

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 U.S. outlooks and a six-day World weather outlook which can be very useful for travelers.

First the highlights from the NWS.

Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
Mon Jan 01 2024
Valid 12Z Mon Jan 01 2024 – 12Z Wed Jan 03 2024

…Quiet and generally mild pattern across the country will mean minimal
weather-related disruptions New Year’s Day…

…Widespread showers and thunderstorms for eastern Texas into the Lower
Mississippi Valley late Tuesday…

…Unsettled weather to arrive across California and the Pacific Northwest
Tuesday…

Please click on “Read More” below to access the full report

Notices:  What would you like to learn about? Please provide that to me via the comment section at the end of the article.

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 quiet, tranquil New Year’s Day (Tuesday) is in store for most of the
country as precipitation chances remain limited and light. A light wintry
mix will continue from the Lower Great Lakes into the central Appalachians
with a clipper-type low pressure system moving through the region this
morning. Little to no accumulations are anticipated except for higher
elevations of the central Appalachins which could see a few inches. Some
spotty rain showers will be possible into the coastal Mid-Atlantic. Some
light snow will also be possible ahead of a frontal wave dropping into the
Upper Midwest, as well as some light showers in the Southwest and along
the western/central Gulf Coast ahead of a couple southern stream
shortwaves. Temperatures wise, the northern tier of the country from the
Plains through the Great Lakes and into New England will generally be
running above average, with highs in the 30s and 40s. Colder temperatures
will follow a cold front moving through the Southeast/Southern Plains.
Forecast highs range in the 40s and 50s inland Monday, with 50s for the
central Gulf Coast and the Florida Panhandle/northern Peninsula Tuesday.
Morning lows here Tuesday and Wednesday may drop to near freezing.
Elsewhere, highs should be near Winter averages for early January.

The weather pattern starts to get a bit more active Tuesday. First, Gulf
moisture returning ahead of the one of the passing southern stream
shortwaves will lead to widespread showers and thunderstorms beginning in
central and eastern Texas later Tuesday and spreading into the Lower
Mississippi Valley by early Wednesday. The chances for heavier rainfall
will be highest along the Gulf Coast. To the West, a storm system over the
Pacific will drop southward along the West Coast, bringing coastal/lower
elevation rain and mountain snow from the Pacific Northwest southward
through northern/central California. Moderate to locally heavy rainfall is
expected, with the heaviest rainfall most likely along the northern
California coast. In addition, higher elevations of the Northern Coastal
Ranges, Klamath Mountains, and Sierra could see some moderate to heavy
accumulating snows.

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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