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
Sat Jan 20 2024
Valid 12Z Sat Jan 20 2024 – 12Z Mon Jan 22 2024…Heavy rain expected to impact northern to central California today and
early Monday, with heavy wet snow along the Sierra Nevada……More freezing rain is forecast for the Columbia River Basin…
…Arctic air will dominate the eastern two-thirds of the country with
lake-effect and upslope snows remaining active today…
Please click on “Read More” below to access the full report issued today.
| Notices: The article on the Updated Outlook for January 2024 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
As the latest round of snow rapidly departs the northeastern U.S., a large
dome of arctic high pressure system will dominate the eastern two-thirds
of the country through the weekend. While this arctic outbreak will not
be as cold as the previous one, sub-zero temperatures will reach as far
south as Missouri and Kansas this morning. Farther south, below freezing
temperatures will overspread much of the Gulf Coast region except southern
Texas and the southern half of the Florida Peninsula. Wind chill
temperatures as low as -20 to -30 will be common across the northern
Plains this morning. The frigid air passing over the relatively warm
waters of the Great Lakes will continue to trigger more lake-effect snow
downwind from the Great Lakes today. Additional upslope snow is also
expected today from West Virginia to southwestern Pennsylvania.The center of the arctic high pressure system is forecast to slide
eastward and reach the Mid-Atlantic region by Monday morning. With no
additional replenishment of arctic air from Canada, a steady warm-up is
forecast for the mid-section of the country on Sunday. Deep return flow
behind the high pressure system will begin to set up a channel of moisture
from the Gulf of Mexico into the southern Plains late Sunday into Monday.
The chance of heavy rain is expected to increase quickly across southern
Texas Sunday night into Monday morning. Meanwhile, a potential of mixed
precipitation and ice is expected to surface farther north toward Oklahoma
by Monday morning.Along the West Coast, multiple frontal systems arriving from the Pacific
will bring active weather onshore through the weekend and into Monday.
Heavy rain will likely impact northern California especially today, as
well as by Sunday night into Monday, with heavy wet snow expected to
linger along the Sierra Nevada. In addition, the influx of warmer air
aloft over the trapped cold air near the ground will support more
ice/freezing rain for the Columbia River Basin and especially the Columbia
Gorge for the next few days. Mixed precipitation will begin to penetrate
further inland, reaching into the Four Corners by Monday morning ahead of
an upper-level trough. Unsettled weather will also continue along the
coast of the Pacific Northwest.
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, here, 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.
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 [that website is has been intermittant so be patient]
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. –
