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 after about 4 p.m. New York time but it is unlikely to have changed very much from the morning update. The images in this article automatically update.
Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
Wed Sep 04 2024
Valid 12Z Wed Sep 04 2024 – 12Z Fri Sep 06 2024…Heat wave builds over the Southwest and the West Coast this week…
…Heavy rain and flash flood potential continues for the Gulf Coast
states the next couple of days…An upper-level ridge building northward over the West Coast will help to
expand and intensify a heat wave over the region through the next few
days. Forecast highs today (Wednesday) range from the upper 100s to
mid-110s in the Desert Southwest, the mid-90s to low 100s for southern and
central California, and the mid-90s to low 100s for portions of the
Pacific Northwest. Temperatures soar even higher on Thursday, with highs
into the 110s for the Desert Southwest, the 100s to near 110 in southern
California, the mid-100s for the central California Valleys, and the low
100s for portions of the Pacific Northwest. Widespread heat-related
warnings and advisories are in place as the threat for heat-related
illness and impacts will increase today and especially on Thursday. This
heat will be dangerous to anyone without effective air conditioning or
sufficient hydration. While not quite as hot, temperatures will also be
well above average along the immediate Pacific Coast, with highs into the
80s for many locations.Heavy rain and the threat for flash flooding will remain in the forecast
for the Gulf Coast states this week as a stationary front and coastal low
drive multiple days of widespread showers and thunderstorms across the
region. The placement of the elongated area of low pressure in the western
Gulf will keep the focus for the most widespread rainfall over portions of
the central and upper Texas Gulf Coasts, and possibly a bit further north
into the Lower Mississippi Valley. Extremely moist Gulf air will lead to
very heavy downpours (upwards of 2-3″ per hours rates) with continued
rounds of storms moving onshore. Forecast areal average rainfall totals
are in the 3-5″ range, with locally higher amounts of 7″+ possible, most
likely near the immediate coast. A Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall
(level 2/4) is in place for the region both today and tomorrow given the
threat for scattered instances of flash flooding. Storms will also
increase along the southeastern Atlantic Coast today and Thursday, and
daily thunderstorm chances will continue for the Florida Peninsula. The
passage of the frontal boundary to the coast and widespread storms and
clouds will keep temperatures down across Texas and the Southeast the next
couple of days, with highs generally in the 80s. Conditions will be hotter
south of the boundary in Florida with temperatures into the 90s. A Heat
Advisory is in place for South Florida today as the combination of highs
into the 90s and high humidity will lead to heat indices in the 105-110
degree range.Elsewhere, much of the eastern U.S. outside of the the South will be dry
with generally mild temperatures. Early Fall-like highs in the 70s are
expected throughout New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and Carolinas through
Thursday. An upper-level ridge passing over the Midwest will bring
temperatures back up into the mid- to upper 80s over the next couple of
days. An approaching upper-level trough/surface frontal system will bring
shower and thunderstorm chances to portions of the Central/Northern Plains
and Upper Midwest today, with the greatest storm coverage and chance for
some more moderate rainfall in the Upper Midwest and the central High
Plains/adjacent Rockies. The frontal system will push further
southeastward on Thursday, bringing storm chances to the Great Lakes,
Central Plains, and central/southern High Plains/adjacent Rockies. Once
again, the greatest storm coverage and heavier rainfall will be focused to
the north over the Great Lakes and to the southwest over the
central/southern High Plains and adjacent Rockies. Some isolated flash
flooding will be possible over the southern Rockies given more sensitive
soils from recent rainfall and over any burn scars.
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 will Resume in the Fall.
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. –
