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
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
Thu Mar 14 2024
Valid 12Z Thu Mar 14 2024 – 12Z Sat Mar 16 2024…Heavy snow through today from the central Rockies, the foothills, and
nearby High Plains before gradually tapering off on Friday……A long-duration event of mountain snow and lower-elevation rain
expected to develop over the Four Corners region beginning on Friday……Severe thunderstorms and excessive rainfall expected to push southward
from the east-central Plains this morning to the Arklatex region on
Friday, and into southeastern Texas by Saturday morning……Very mild/warm weather expands eastward from the central to the eastern
U.S. going into the weekend…An amplifying upper-level trough continues to dig southward into the
western U.S. Moisture lifted ahead of the upper trough within a cold air
mass is producing heavy snow across the central Rockies early this
morning. As the cold air continues to filter southward, the rain that
initially falls over the lower elevations is forecast to change over to
heavy wet snow. The heaviest snow is forecast to be along the Front
Range of Colorado where a few feet of snow could accumulate. Lesser
amounts are expected in adjacent areas but one to two feet of wet snow can
be expected down into the Foothills and High Plains such as Boulder and
Denver, Colorado. Hazardous to very difficult travel is expected as heavy
snow and intense snow rates at times (1-2 inches plus per hour) will lead
to hazardous travel conditions.By tonight into Friday, the main upper-level low is forecast to dip
further south into the Desert Southwest. Snow across the central
Rockies/High Plains is expected to gradually taper off as the dynamics of
the low move farther south. However, the Four Corners region will be
under the most favorable region for precipitation to form and expand
beginning on Friday as the upper low is forecast to meander over the
region. Mountain snow and lower elevation rain are expected to linger
over the Four Corners region going into the weekend.On the warm side of the system, a low pressure system is developing over
the central Plains and tracking toward the Midwest. Influx of warm and
moist air from the Gulf of Mexico has
organized strong to severe thunderstorms ahead of a warm front. These
thunderstorms containing heavy rainfall are forecast to push southward
from the east-central Plains this morning to the Arklatex region on
Friday, and into southeastern Texas by Saturday morning near or just
behind an advancing cold front. Meanwhile, the low pressure system will
bring widespread rainfall across the southern half of the Great Lakes
today, spreading into New England tonight into Friday. The rain will
likely mix with wet snow across interior New England on Friday before the
system steadily moves off the coast early on Saturday.As the winter storm develops over the western U.S., much of the eastern
U.S. will enter an extended period of very warm and pleasant weather.
High temperatures in the 60s and 70s from the Ohio Valley to the
Mid-Atlantic states will be 20-25 degrees above normal for this time of
year. However, a cold front from Canada is forecast to rapidly dip into
the northern Plains by early on Saturday. This cold front will signal the
beginning of a rapid cooling trend forecast to head toward the East Coast
thereafter.
To get your local forecast plus active alerts and warnings click HERE and enter your city, state or zip code.
Above is a 72 hour animation of the forecast. 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
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.
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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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.
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| I hope you found this article interesting and useful. |
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