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
Fri Jan 31 2025
Valid 12Z Fri Jan 31 2025 – 12Z Sun Feb 02 2025…Precipitation returns to the West Coast, with atmospheric river
activity expected to bring heavy rain and flooding concerns to portions of
central and northern California……Much needed rainfall expected across the Upper Tennessee Valley,
Southern Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic, with light wintry precipitation
expected for New England……Above average temperatures are expected across large sections of the
country going into the weekend with exception to the Northwest and the
Northeast where temperatures will be trending gradually below normal…After several weeks of no precipitation along large portions of the West
Coast, a considerably more active West Coast weather pattern will unfold
over the next few days which will include the arrival of multiple Pacific
frontal systems. This will include the arrival again of well-defined
atmospheric river activity also into especially central and northern
California. Much of the rain and higher elevation snowfall will be
welcomed across the Pacific Northwest, but for California, the concern
especially by Saturday and Sunday will be heavy to excessive rainfall that
will lead to flooding concerns. This will include the Bay Area and
interior areas of the Sacramento Valley and also the foothills of the
Sierra Nevada. A Slight Risk (level 2 of 4) of excessive rainfall has been
depicted by the Weather Prediction Center across these areas, and while
there will be certainly benefits to the rainfall, the expectation is that
a front will stall out across central California and foster a persistence
of atmospheric river conditions and heavy rains that will drive flooding
concerns. Temperatures across the West will initially be above normal for
many locations, but the passage of the frontal activity over the Pacific
Northwest should allow temperatures here to trend gradually below normal,
and this will also allow for lowering snow levels in time.Meanwhile, a storm system crossing through the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys
will be advancing across the central and southern Appalachians and the
Mid-Atlantic states today through tonight which will bring moderate to
locally heavy rainfall. Generally these rains will be quite beneficial,
but there may be sufficient rainfall in conjunction with snowmelt over the
higher terrain of the central Appalachians to bring a threat of flooding.
A Slight Risk (level 2 of 4) of excessive rainfall has been depicted
across the higher terrain of West Virginia. A portion of this storm system
will also bring heavy to potentially excessive rainfall today across areas
of northern Illinois. However, the northern edge of the precipitation
shield as it lifts off to the northeast into parts of New York and New
England will encounter a sufficient amount of cold air for some light
snowfall and also locally some concerns for sleet and freezing rain. This
storm system will exit the region by early this weekend, with colder
temperatures arriving in its wake and especially across the Northeast.By Sunday, a new storm system related to the unsettled weather impacting
the West Coast will begin to eject east out across the northern Plains,
and this will bring a threat for several inches of accumulating snow to
the Upper Midwest. Colder temperatures will begin to settle south from
Canada in the wake of this system across the northern High Plains.
However, above average temperatures though are expected in general across
much of the country outside of the Northwest and the Northeast, and in
some cases across the Plains and Midwest, the temperatures this weekend
will be as much as 15 to 20 degrees above normal. Many areas of the
Southeast and the Southwest will also be warmer than normal with highs as
much as average 5 to 10+ degrees above average.
To get your local forecast plus active alerts and warnings click HERE and enter your city, state or zip code. If the Hazards Outlook is not updated click here but remember it does not update during the weekend.
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
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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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. |
