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 (up to four weeks) 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
Sat Oct 05 2024
Valid 12Z Sat Oct 05 2024 – 12Z Mon Oct 07 2024…Record-breaking heat remains across California and the Southwest
through this weekend, while briefly overspreading portions of the Plains
and Midwest on Saturday……Strong winds and dangerous fire weather conditions are forecast from
the northern/central Rockies into the Plains on Saturday……Locally heavy rainfall will be possible across the immediate Gulf Coast
through Saturday, with more of a focus toward the Florida Peninsula by
late Sunday…A record-breaking late-season heat wave continues over portions of
central/southern California and the Desert Southwest this weekend as
upper-level ridging persists over the region. Forecast highs will once
again soar into the upper 90s to low 100s outside of immediate coastal
areas in central/southern California and into the 100s to low 110s into
the Desert Southwest. Numerous daily record-tying/breaking highs will
likely be reached again following days of new record daily temperatures.
Heat-related advisories and warnings are in place as this persistent level
of major to extreme heat remains a danger to anyone without adequate
air-conditioning/hydration and those spending greater time outdoors. After
a brief period of more seasonable temperatures to the north following a
cold frontal passage, highs will trend above average again for most of the
rest of the Interior West by Sunday, with 70s into the northern Great
Basin/Rockies and 80s for the central Great Basin. Further to the east
over the central U.S., a brief period of upper-level ridging and strong
southerly flow ahead of an approaching system will bring some hotter high
temperatures to portions of the Midwest and Central Plains on Saturday.
Forecast highs into the low to mid-90s are upwards of 20 degrees above
average, and some record-tying/breaking temperatures possible here as
well. An approaching cold front will bring cooler, more seasonable air on
Sunday with highs back down into the 70s. The Southern Plains will remain
hot and above average south of the front through the weekend with upper
80s and low 90s forecast.As noted, an upper-level wave will move quickly along the northern-tier of
the country this weekend with an accompanying surface frontal system. Lee
cyclogenesis east of the Rockies has led to a rapidly deepening area of
low pressure just north of the U.S./Canadian border, with a tightening
pressure gradient leading to widespread very strong, gusty winds across
the northern/central Rockies and into the northern/central Plains.
Wind-related advisories and warnings are in place for gusts upwards of
60-70 mph through Saturday. In addition, very dry conditions combined with
the gusty winds with cold frontal passage will also bring a significant
risk of wildfires. The Storm Prediction Center has highlighted areas from
northern Colorado/southern Wyoming into central Nebraska and southern
South Dakota with a Critical Risk of fire weather (level 2/3). Widespread
Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches cover much of the rest of the
region due to wildfire risk. Greater moisture further east will lead to
some showers and storms ahead of the frontal system over the Upper Great
Lakes by Saturday afternoon. Some moderate rainfall will be possible, and
strong dynamic forcing with the system could lead to some more potent
thunderstorms. A Slight Risk of severe weather (level 2/5) has been
introduced from the Storm Prediction Center in northeastern Wisconsin
mainly for the threat of some large hail. The system will continue into
the Northeast Sunday afternoon/evening with more showers and thunderstorms
expected.An area of low pressure over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico and
increasing Gulf moisture will lead to periods of thunderstorms producing
locally heavy rainfall along the immediate Gulf Coast and eastward along a
surface trough/weak frontal boundary across the Florida Peninsula this
weekend. While storms may be generally ill-focused for any potential
flooding threat, a couple areas will see a low but non-zero risk. More
concentrated storms along a coastal trough nearby the far south Texas Gulf
Coast could lead to some isolated flash flooding on Saturday. Another
focus will be along and ahead of the weak frontal boundary through the
central Florida Peninsula on Sunday, with some isolated flash flooding
possible along the Florida Gulf Coast and South Florida. The National
Hurricane Center (NHC) continues to monitor this area of low pressure for
potential tropical development, though if something were to develop this
remains more likely after the current forecast period into next week.
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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10
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14 |
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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. |
