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
Fri Jan 05 2024
Valid 12Z Fri Jan 05 2024 – 12Z Sun Jan 07 2024…Light to moderate snow expected for portions of the southern and
central Great Plains along with localized flash flooding for the Gulf
Coast today……Significant icing possible for portions of the southern and central
Appalachians tonight into Saturday……Snow from developing East Coast winter storm to begin affecting
interior portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Saturday……Pacific storm system to bring renewed round of heavy mountain snow and
coastal rain to the Northwest Coast tonight into Saturday…
Please click on “Read More” below to access the full report issued today.
| Notices: The article on the Updated Outlook for January 2924 can be accessed HERE. 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
An upper trough moving through the Plains and Mississippi Valley will
support the development of a dynamic storm system impacting an the Great
Plains to the East Coast this weekend. Today, this upper disturbance will
generate light to moderate snow across portions of Kansas, Oklahoma and
Missouri, while producing showers and thunderstorms over much of the
western/central Gulf Coast. Northern stream energy pivoting over central
Canada will support additional snow showers across portions of the
Northern Plains and Upper Midwest beginning this afternoon and continuing
into the Great Lakes through Saturday before phasing with the Nor’easter.For the interior Mid-Atlantic and New England, there is increasing
confidence in heavy snow from Saturday afternoon into Sunday. The greatest
uncertainty in the rain-snow transition is from southeast Pennsylvania and
northern New Jersey into southern New England. People in those areas
should still be prepared for the possibility of snow, and changes to the
forecast. North of those areas, confidence in heavy snow is higher. The
combination of heavy, wet snow and gusty winds in Connecticut, Rhode
Island and Massachusetts may lead to some power outages and tree damage.
Gusty onshore winds may lead to minor flooding along the Mid-Atlantic and
southern New England coasts, particularly for the Sunday morning high tide
cycle. In the Appalachian region of western North Carolina, western
Virginia and eastern West Virginia, accumulations of ice in excess of 0.1
inches, due to freezing rain, are likely with locally higher accumulations
possible. This icing, along with some areas of sleet, may produce
hazardous travel conditions tonight and Saturday.Meanwhile, another East Pacific system will enter the West tonight,
bringing heavy mountain snow to the western mountains and coastal rain to
the Northwest coast through Sunday. Around a foot of snow is expected for
the Cascades and Sierra while slightly lesser totals are possible for the
highest peaks of the Intermountain West. This system will go on to
intensify into a dynamic storm over the Great Plains and cause widespread
impacts from there to the East Coast early to mid week.
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
Day 2
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.
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10
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| 8–
14 |
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| 3–
4 |
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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.
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.
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| I hope you found this article interesting and useful. |
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