It is difficult to find a more comprehensive Weather Outlook anywhere else with the ability to get a local 10-day Forecast also.
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 NWS Short Range Forecast. The afternoon NWS text update can be found here but it is unlikely to have changed very much. The images in this article automatically update.
Short Range Forecast Discussion
Sat Apr 20 2024
Valid 12Z Sat Apr 20 2024 – 12Z Mon Apr 22 2024…Heavy rain and scattered instances of flash flooding possible across
the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley today……Light snow continues across parts of the central Rockies and central
High Plains……Below average temperatures for much of the Nation east of the Rockies
this weekend before spring warmth returns to the Plains on Monday…A lingering quasi-stationary front draped across the Southeast, Gulf Coast
States, and southern Plains will be the focus for numerous showers and
thunderstorms this weekend. The greatest impacts associated with this
system are expected to occur today as heavy rain could lead to scattered
flash flooding issues from Texas to Mississippi. Multiple rounds of
potentially intense rainfall developing over saturated terrain has
prompted a Slight Risk (level 2/4) of Excessive Rainfall through tonight.
This area includes much of central and eastern Texas, northern Louisiana,
southern Arkansas, and central Mississippi. A few isolated storms could
also contain damaging wind gusts and hail throughout central/southern
Texas and the Southeast. The greatest coverage of showers and
thunderstorms are expected to progress eastward tonight and eventually
confine to the central Gulf Coast and Southeast on Sunday, with lessening
chances for flash flooding and severe thunderstorms.Light precipitation chances are also forecast to continue across other
parts of the Nation through Monday. Light snow will linger throughout
parts of Colorado today, where a few additional inches of accumulating
snowfall are expected along the Front Range. Winter Weather Advisories
remain in effect. Meanwhile, an exiting cold front today followed by a
stronger cold front on Sunday night will lead to rain and snow showers
traversing New England. Lastly, the next frontal system to impact the
Pacific Northwest will rapidly spread showers throughout the region
tonight before swiftly pushing rain chances into the northern Plains and
Upper Midwest on Monday.Temperatures are anticipated to remain below average for much of the
country behind the cold front extending from the Southeast to the southern
Plains. This leaves the West, Southwest, and Southeast as the warm spots
this weekend with highs into the 70s and 80s. As temperatures moderate on
Monday and return flow enters the central U.S., below normal temperatures
are expected to erode as highs into the 70s surge into the central Plains,
with cooler weather remaining across the Northeast. Additionally, lows
into the 30s over the next few mornings could lead to frost/freeze
concerns for locations already in the growing season from the Midwest to
the upper Ohio Valley.
To get your local forecast plus active alerts and warnings click HERE and enter your city, state or zip code.
Learn about wave patterns HERE.
Then, looking at the world and of course, the U.S. shows here also. Today we are looking at precipitation.
Please click on “Read More” below to access the full Daily Report issued today.
| 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
We have a new animation of the forecast which shows how things may play out over the next 60 hours. To update click ANIMATION. Doing so will get you to the dashboard. You can then step through the animation or hit LOOP on the upper right of the display. You will have to hit the back arrow ← at the top left on your computer to get back into this article. It is a little more trouble than before but I think NOAA scrapped the animation routine I was using so we have to keep up with “progress”.
The NWS Climate Prediction Center’s: Watches, Warnings, and Advisories plus other information can be found HERE. That takes you to the NWC Severe Weather Site. From there you can select among many categories of information. Remember to hit the back arrow ← at the top left of your screen to return to 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.
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. These links may also be useful for those viewing this article on a cell phone or other small screen.
| 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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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 intermittent 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. Note that unless there is an out-of-season storm the below images will not update until the National Hurricane Center starts their seasonal update of these maps on June 1. I include them simply because there can be an out-of-season event in which case it should show up in these maps.
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| I hope you found this article interesting and useful. |
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