Weather Outlook for the U.S. for Today Through at Least 22 Days and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: – Posted on January 7, 2025

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
Tue Jan 07 2025
Valid 12Z Tue Jan 07 2025 – 12Z Thu Jan 09 2025

…Moderate to heavy lake-effect snow downwind from the Great Lakes on
Tuesday and Wednesday…

…A Developing Winter Storm will produce snow and rain/freezing rain,
icing, over parts of Texas on Wednesday…

…Light snow over parts of the Great Basin, Southwest, and
Central/Southern Rockies on Tuesday and over the Northern Rockies/Northern
High Plains on Wednesday…

…There is a Critical Risk of fire weather over parts of Southern
California on Tuesday and Wednesday, with an Extremely Critical Risk for
portions of Los Angeles and Ventura counties on Wednesday…

Cold high pressure over the Northern High Plains will move southeastward
to the Ohio Valley by Thursday. The cold air and upper-level energy will
aid in producing moderate to heavy lake-effect snow downwind from the
Great Lakes through Thursday. In addition, moderate to heavy upslope snow
will develop over parts of Northern New England, and light to moderate
upslope snow over the Central Appalachians will develop through Thursday.

Meanwhile, strong high pressure will develop over parts of the Great
Basin, setting up Santa Ana winds over Southern California on Tuesday,
that will continue into Wednesday. Therefore, the SPC has issued a
Critical Risk Fire Weather Outlook over parts of Southern California on
Tuesday and Wednesday, with an Extremely Critical Outlook for portions of
Los Angeles and Ventura counties on Wednesday. Winds of 20 to 25 mph on
Tuesday, increasing up to 40 mph on Wednesday, with stronger gusts in
terrain-favored areas, along with low relative humidity, and dry fuels
will contribute to dangerous conditions.

Moreover, on Tuesday, upper-level energy over Southern California will
move southward to Northwestern Mexico, creating a deep upper low over the
region by Wednesday. The energy will begin to move eastward over Northern
Mexico by Thursday. By Tuesday morning, light to moderate snow will
develop over parts of the Great Basin and the Northern/Central Rockies.
Light to moderate snow will develop over parts of the Southern Rockies by
Tuesday evening.

The system will produce light snow over West Texas on Wednesday before a
more significant storm on Thursday. Many areas from northern Texas,
including the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, will have at least some chance
(>30%) of wintry weather. With cold air already in place, a wintry mix of
snow, sleet, and freezing rain is forecast for the Southern Plains, which
may cause hazardous driving conditions, starting late Wednesday night and
continuing into Thursday morning.

Further, additional upper-level energy will move over the Pacific
Northwest Wednesday morning and reach the Central Rockies by Thursday,
aiding in the development of a new front from the Northern/Central Plains
into the Central Rockies. The new energy will create a short-lived light
coastal rain and higher-elevation snow over parts of the Pacific Northwest
on early Wednesday morning. By Wednesday evening, light snow will develop
over parts of the Northern Rockies, expanding into parts of the Northern
Plains and Central Rockies by Thursday.

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.

Weather Outlook for the U.S. for Today Through at Least 22 Days and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: – Posted on January 6, 2025

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
Mon Jan 06 2025
Valid 12Z Mon Jan 06 2025 – 12Z Wed Jan 08 2025

…Moderate to heavy snow from the Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic through
late Monday night…

…Light rain/freezing rain over parts of the Ohio Valley to the
Mid-Atlantic on Monday...

…There is a Marginal Risk (level 1/5) of severe thunderstorms over parts
of the Southeast on Monday…

A significant storm over the Ohio Valley will move eastward off the
Mid-Atlantic Coast by Monday evening. On Monday, a major disruptive winter
storm will affect the area from the Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic,
leading to severe travel delays. The storm will produce moderate to heavy
snow from parts of the Ohio Valley through to the Mid-Atlantic. The snow
will continue into late Monday night over the Mid-Atlantic.

The system will produce 6-12 inches of snow across the Mid-Atlantic,
including the Washington, D.C. metro area. Travelers should anticipate
significant disruptions. An additional 2-4 inches of snow will fall across
portions of the Ohio Valley and Central Appalachians, where travel
disruptions will continue.

Furthermore, light icing/freezing rain will develop over parts of Ohio
Valley to the Mid-Atlantic, ending by Monday evening over the
Mid-Atlantic. Dangerous travel conditions will develop over the region.

Moreover, as the associated front moves across the Southeast, strong to
severe thunderstorms will develop over parts of the region on Monday.
Therefore, the SPC has issued a Marginal Risk (level 1/5) of severe
thunderstorms over parts of the Southeast through Tuesday morning. The
hazards associated with these thunderstorms are frequent lightning, severe
thunderstorm wind gusts, isolated tornadoes, and a minimal threat of hail.

In addition, on Monday, light lake-effect snow will be ongoing downwind
from the Great Lakes and upslope snow over parts of the Northeast. In the
wake of the storm, on Tuesday, light to moderate lake-effect snow will
continue downwind from the Great Lakes and into upslope regions of
Northern New England.

Meanwhile, on Monday, upper-level energy over the Northwest will move
southward to Northwestern Mexico by Tuesday night, creating a deep
upper-level trough over the Southwest. The energy will produce coastal
rain and higher-elevation snow over parts of the Pacific Northwest and
Northern California through Monday afternoon. Light snow will continue
over the Northern Intermountain Region, the Great Basin, and the Northern
Rockies by Monday evening.

The light snow will expand into parts of the Central Rockies overnight
Monday and into the Southern Rockies on Tuesday. By Tuesday evening, light
snow will expand into parts of the Central/Southern High Plains. Further,
additional upper-level energy will come onshore over the Pacific Northwest
Tuesday evening into Wednesday. The new energy will create light coastal
rain and higher-elevation snow over parts of the Pacific Northwest.

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.

Weather Outlook for the U.S. for Today Through at Least 22 Days and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: – Posted on January 5, 2025

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
Sun Jan 05 2025
Valid 12Z Sun Jan 05 2025 – 12Z Tue Jan 07 2025

…Heavy snow from the Central Plains to the Mid-Atlantic through late
Monday night with damaging ice, freezing rain, accumulations…

…0.25 to 0.50 inches of freezing rain over parts of the Middle
Mississippi/Ohio Valley on Sunday and light freezing rain over parts of
the Mid-Atlantic on Monday…

…There is an Enhanced Risk (level 3/5) of severe thunderstorms over
parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley on Sunday…

A significant storm over the Southern Plains will move eastward to the
Mid-Atlantic Coast by Monday evening. On Sunday, a major disruptive winter
storm will affect the area from Kansas to Ohio Valley/Central
Appalachians, leading to severe travel delays. The storm will reach the
Mid-Atlantic region by Sunday evening and continue to impact the area
through Monday. The storm will produce heavy snowfall and wind gusts
exceeding 40 mph, creating blizzard conditions in parts of Kansas and
Missouri. The snow will significantly reduce visibilities, and snowfall
amounts will surpass 15 inches (the heaviest in a decade), which will make
travel extremely hazardous, with impassable roads. Additionally, a band of
8-14 inches of snow is expected to extend from northeast Missouri through
the Central Appalachians, with a few inches of sleet likely in southern
Illinois and Indiana. Travelers should anticipate significant disruptions
along this path.

Furthermore, significant icing/freezing rain will spread from central
Kansas through the Central Appalachians into Monday. Dangerous travel
conditions, widespread tree damage, and prolonged power outages are
expected along this corridor. Some regions may experience ice
accumulations exceeding half an inch.

On Monday, moderate to heavy snow will extend from southern Illinois to
the Mid-Atlantic. In addition, widespread light freezing rain will also
extend from Kentucky to the Mid-Atlantic. The snow will wind down by
Tuesday morning, with light snow over parts of the Central Appalachians.

Furthermore, on Sunday, as the associated front crosses the Southern
Plains and moves into the Lower Mississippi Valley, severe thunderstorms
will develop over parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley. Therefore, the
SPC has issued an Enhanced Risk (level 3/5) of severe thunderstorms over
parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley through Monday morning. The hazards
associated with these thunderstorms are frequent lightning, severe
thunderstorm wind gusts, hail, and a few tornadoes.

Strong to severe thunderstorms will develop over parts of the Southeast as
the boundary moves into the Southeast on Monday. Therefore, the SPC has
issued a Marginal Risk (level 1/5) of severe thunderstorms over parts of
the Southeast from Monday into Tuesday morning. The hazards associated
with these thunderstorms are frequent lightning, severe thunderstorm wind
gusts, a few tornados, and a minimal threat of hail.

Meanwhile, cold air moving over the Great Lakes and upper-level energy
over the Great Lakes and Northeast will create moderate to heavy
lake-effect snow downwind from Lake Ontario through Monday morning. In
addition, light to moderate lake-effect snow will develop downwind from
the Upper Great Lakes and Lake Erie through Tuesday morning.

Furthermore, weak onshore flow and multiple weakening fronts move onshore
over the Northwest. The systems will produce coastal rain and
higher-elevation snow over parts of the Pacific Northwest and Northern
California through Monday afternoon. Light snow will continue over the
Northern Intermountain Region, the Great Basin, and the Northern Rockies
overnight Monday.

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.

The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) – What it is and why it is important. – Published January 4, 2024

From the December 31, 2024 update of the January Weather Outlook:

Dynamical model forecasts of the Realtime Multivariate MJO (RMM) index are in agreement favoring continued eastward progression of the MJO signal over the next two weeks, which typically leads to increased troughing over the central and eastern Contiguous United States (CONUS), consistent with a negative Arctic Oscillation and [Author added for clarity: “and a negative] North Atlantic Oscillation. Overall, the more certain MJO forecasts and subsequent eastern CONUS troughing will allow for the potential for cooler air from the North entering the eastern CONUS during January.

So I thought it would be useful to discuss the MJO and raise the question as to the validity of the above statement.

From the NOAA CPC:

The discussion above is confusing and may not be fully explanatory. It is clear that the CPC believes this instance of the MJO will be stronger than usual and interact with the development of the La Nina. Weather-speak can be confusing. “Constructively interfering” actually means enhancing. The last bullet point is to me concerning. Are they saying that the MJO is causing the Negative AO and NAO?  I think that is a stretch (however, at the end of the article I revised my initial assessment after a few hours of additional research on Sunday a.m.) but there is a lot I do not understand about the MJO which is itself not well understood.

So I am not prepared to tackle that last issue (I did tackle it after publication late Saturday night/early Sunday morning raising my confidence in the January  Outlook).  Instead in parts II and III of this article, I present some basic information on this strange but important weather pattern: The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO).

Some will have to click on “Read More” to access the body of this article.   It is mostly for those who are interested in learning about some of the less talked about patterns caused by the rotation of the Earth.

Weather Outlook for the U.S. for Today Through at Least 22 Days and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: – Posted on January 4, 2025

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 Jan 04 2025
Valid 12Z Sat Jan 04 2025 – 12Z Mon Jan 06 2025

…Heavy snow from the Central Plains to the Ohio Valley on Sunday; Heavy
lake-effect snow downwind from Lake Ontario on Saturday…

…Moderate to heavy snow from the Northern High Plains to the Central
Plains on Saturday; 0.25 inches of freezing rain over parts of the Middle
Mississippi/Ohio Valley on Sunday…

…There is an Enhanced Risk (level 2/5) of severe thunderstorms over
parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley on Sunday…

On Saturday, low pressure over the Southern High Plains will move eastward
to the Ohio Valley by Monday. The storm will create disruptive winter
weather from Saturday to Monday. The major winter storm will bring
significant disruptions to the Central Plains by late Saturday, spreading
to the Ohio Valley on Sunday. Severe travel delays are likely, with the
storm reaching the Mid-Atlantic by Sunday night into Monday. On Saturday,
the storm will produce moderate to heavy snow from the Northern High
Plains to the Central Plains.

Moreover, widespread heavy snow will accompany the storm. Heavy snowfall
is expected across areas from central Kansas to Ohio, especially along and
north of Interstate 70, with a 60-90% chance of at least 8 inches of snow
on Sunday. For some, this could be the heaviest snowfall in over a decade.
Additionally, moderate to heavy snow will develop over parts of the
northern Mid-Atlantic overnight Sunday into Monday.

In addition, blizzard conditions will develop over the Central Plains.
Wind gusts over 35 mph combined with heavy snow will create blizzard
conditions by Sunday morning. Whiteout conditions will make travel
extremely hazardous, with impassable roads and a high risk of motorists
becoming stranded.

Furthermore, significant icing/freezing rain for Middle Mississippi/Ohio
Valleys. Sleet and freezing rain are expected from eastern Kansas and the
Ozarks to the Ohio Valley. Dangerous travel is anticipated, with tree
damage and power outages likely in areas with over a quarter-inch of ice
accumulation. Overnight Sunday, the storm will produce additional icing in
the Central Appalachians.

On Sunday, as the front crosses the Southern Plains and moves into the
Lower Mississippi Valley, severe thunderstorms will develop over parts of
the Lower Mississippi Valley. Therefore, the SPC has issued an Enhanced
Risk (level 3/5) of severe thunderstorms over parts of the Lower
Mississippi Valley from Sunday through Monday morning. The hazards
associated with these thunderstorms are frequent lightning, severe
thunderstorm wind gusts, hail, and a few tornadoes.

Meanwhile, cold air moving over the Great Lakes and upper-level energy
over the Great Lakes and Northeast will create heavy lake-effect snow
downwind from Lake Ontario through Sunday morning. In addition, moderate
lake-effect snow will develop downwind from the Upper Great Lakes and Lake
Erie through Sunday morning. Furthermore, light upslope snow will develop
over parts of the Central Appalachians on Saturday. On Sunday, the
lake-effect snow will become light over most of the Lakes, while moderate
to heavy snow will continue downwind from Lake Ontario. Light to moderate
snow will develop over parts of the Northeast.

Furthermore, weak onshore flow and multiple weakening fronts move onshore
over the Northwest. The system will produce coastal rain and
higher-elevation snow over parts of the Pacific Northwest and Northern
California through Monday.

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.

Weather Outlook for the U.S. for Today Through at Least 22 Days and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: – Posted on January 3, 2025

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 03 2025
Valid 12Z Fri Jan 03 2025 – 12Z Sun Jan 05 2025

…Heavy lake-effect snow downwind from Lakes Erie and Ontario; Moderate
to heavy lake-effect snow downwind from the Upper Great Lakes…

… Moderate to heavy snow or the Cascades, Sierra Nevada Mountains, and
the higher elevation of the West; 0.1 inches of freezing rain over parts
of the Central Plains/Middle Mississippi Valley on Saturday…

…Moderate to heavy rain over parts of Pacific Northwest and Northern
California on Friday…

Cold high pressure over the Plains will slowly move eastward to the
Southeast/Central Appalachians by Sunday. The cold air and upper-level
energy over the Great Lakes and Northeast will create heavy lake-effect
snow downwind from Lakes Erie and Ontario through Sunday. In addition,
moderate to heavy lake-effect snow will develop downwind from the Upper
Great Lakes through Sunday, too. Furthermore, moderate to heavy upslope
snow will develop over parts of the Central Appalachians on Friday.

Meanwhile, a front over the Eastern Pacific will move onshore over the
West Coast and move southeastward to the Southern Plains by Sunday.
Moisture associated with the system will produce moderate to heavy rain
over parts of the Pacific Northwest and Northern California on Friday.
Snow will develop over parts of the Cascades, Northern Intermountain
Region, and Northern Rockies. By early afternoon, the boundary will pass
the Northwest and California, rain will change over to snow over the
Southern Cascades into the Sierra Nevada Mountains through Saturday
morning.

A weakening front will move close to the Pacific Northwest Coast by late
Saturday morning and dissipate by Sunday. The system will bring more
coastal rain and higher�elevation snow over parts of the Pacific
Northwest and Northern California through Sunday.

Furthermore, by Saturday afternoon, the lead front will move to the
Southern High Plains and into the Southern Plains by Sunday. The storm
will produce significant wintry weather, with impacts over the Central
Plains by late Saturday and the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys on Sunday.
Additionally, the storm will create severe travel disruptions.

Moreover, areas in the Central Plains and Central Mississippi Valley,
especially along and north of Interstate 70, are likely to experience
heavy snowfall, with a high chance (60-90 percent) of at least 6 inches of
snow from late Saturday into Sunday. Significant sleet and freezing rain
are anticipated from eastern Kansas and the Ozarks extending eastward to
the Tennessee and lower Ohio Valleys, also on Saturday into Sunday.

Further, rain will develop over parts of the Southern Plains/Lower
Mississippi Valley overnight Saturday, and some areas of showers and
thunderstorms will develop by Sunday morning.

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.

Weather Outlook for the U.S. for Today Through at Least 22 Days and a Six-Day Forecast for the World – Posted on January 2, 2025

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
Thu Jan 02 2025
Valid 12Z Thu Jan 02 2025 – 12Z Sat Jan 04 2025

…Long duration lake-effect snow event continues downwind of the Great
Lakes…

…Periods of locally heavy coastal rains and higher elevation snow
continue for much of the northwestern U.S….

…Arctic air surges south from the Northern Plains through the Central
and Eastern U.S….

Strong northwesterly winds on the backside of a departing low pressure
system that is moving into the Canadian maritime will generate moderate to
heavy lake enhanced snow downwind of the Great Lakes over the next few
days. Anywhere between 6-12 inches of snow with isolated higher amounts
may accumulate downwind of the Lakes by Saturday morning. A low pressure
system tracking across the Central U.S. will produce a light swath of
snowfall from Iowa across the Ohio Valley today and into the Central
Appalachians on Friday. Snowfall accumulations of 6-12 inches are possible
over the Central Appalachians.

A series of low pressure systems will generate rain and high elevation
snow across much of the Northwest over the next couple of days. The
moisture plume associated with the first system will be directed at the
northern California coast and Oregon today, where an isolated threat of
Flash Flooding exists. Snow showers continue over the Northern/Central
Rockies. Rain and snow showers expand in coverage across the Northwest on
Friday. Accumulating snow is possible over the highest elevations of the
Cascades, Sierra and Northern Rockies. Heavy rainfall expands into the
upslope areas of the Sierra as the cold front pushes through.

High pressure builds over the Great Plains, sending frigid arctic air down
through the Central and Eastern U.S. through the weekend. Meanwhile, the
West and Southern Plains will experience above average temperatures. There
also continues to be an elevated fire weather threat over parts of
southern California today.

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.

NOAA Updates their Mid-Month Outlook for January 2025 – Major Changes for Temperature – Posted on January 1, 2025

At the end of every month, NOAA updates its Outlook for the following month which in this case is January of 2025. We are reporting on that tonight. In this article, I refer to January 2025 as “The New Month”.

There have been significant changes in the Outlook for the new month and these are addressed in the NOAA Discussion so it is well worth reading.  We provided the prior Mid-Month Outlook for the new month for comparison. It is easy to see the substantial changes in the weather outlook by comparing the Mid-Month and Updated Maps. My comments are in a box.

The article includes the Drought Outlook for the new month. NOAA also adjusted the previously issued three-month Drought Outlook to reflect the changes in the new month’s Drought Outlook. We also provide the Week 2/3 Tropical Outlook for the World. The Tropical Outlet includes both direct and indirect potential impacts to the Southern Tier of CONUS. We also include a whole set of forecasts for parts of the new month. These are both useful and provide a crosscheck on the validity of the new month’s Outlook. The whole should be equal to the sum of its parts.

The best way to understand the updated outlook for the new month is to view the maps and read the NOAA discussion. I have highlighted the key statements in the NOAA Discussion.

I am going to start with graphics that show the updated Outlook for the new month and the earlier Mid-Month Outlook for the new month. This is followed by a graphic that shows both the Updated Outlook for the new month and the previously issued three-month outlook for the three-month period adjusted for the changes to the first month. So you get the full picture in three graphics.

Here is the updated Outlook for January 2025.

For Comparison Purposes, Here is the earlier Mid-Month Outlook for January, 2025

It is important to remember that the maps show deviations from the current definition of normal which is the period 1991 through 2020.  So this is not a forecast of the absolute value of temperature or precipitation but the change from what is defined as normal or to use the technical term climatology.

It is a substantial change from what was issued on December 19, 2024November 21, 2024. Remember, it is the first set of maps that are the current outlook for January which is the new month.  One expects some changes  12 days later. However, the changes to the updated new month Outlook are very significant.  This then might give us some reason to question the (December 19, 2024) three-month JFM temperature and precipitation Outlooks which are shown in the following graphic. Or one might say that La Nina has arrived too late to be a big factor for January and the impact of the MJO is much more than originally forecast.  Thus the February and March Outlooks may still be valid.

NOAA provided a combination of the Updated Outlook for the New Month and the Three-Month Outlook.

The top pair of maps are again the Updated Outlook for the new month. There is a temperature map and a precipitation map. The bottom row shows the three-month outlooks which includes the new month. I think the outlook maps are self-explanatory.

To the extent that one can rely on a forecast, we would conclude that February and March will be very different than January particularly with respect to temperature. You can subtract January from the three-month Outlook and divide by two to get a combined February/March Outlook.

I am still not convinced that there will be a La Nina Winter. Thus I am somewhat skeptical about the NOAA Outlooks.

Some readers may need to click “Read More” to read the rest of the article.  Some will feel that they have enough information. But there is a lot more information in the rest of this article.

Weather Outlook for the U.S. for Today Through at Least 22 Days and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: posted January 1, 2025

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
Tue Dec 31 2024
Valid 12Z Wed Jan 01 2025 – 12Z Fri Jan 03 2025

…Coastal storm to bring rain and snow showers to the Northeast New
Year’s Day…

…Warming trend for the western U.S. while the northern/eastern U.S.
experiences colder temperatures through the end of the work week…

…Long duration lake effect snow event expected to begin unfolding
tomorrow downwind of the Great Lakes…

An area of low pressure will move across the interior Northeast/Quebec
while a secondary low pressure system develops along the New England Coast
today. Colder temperatures will filter into the eastern U.S. behind a
trailing cold front which will allow for a changeover to snow for interior
portions of the Northeast on New Year’s Day as the surface low deepens and
slowly tracks northward into eastern Quebec. This storm will mark the
beginning of a pattern change for the lower 48 where colder air will sink
southward from central Canada into the northern Plains, eventually
sweeping eastward. From the northern to eastern U.S., temperatures will
fall each day with values approaching average for New England on Thursday
while below average temperatures stretch from northern Montana to the
Mid-Atlantic and Southeast coasts. The colder air flowing across the still
relative warmth of the Great Lakes will set up a favorable pattern for
lake effect snow showers, starting today, which should persist through the
end of the week. Snowfall accumulations are expected to be greatest for
locations east of Lake Ontario and Erie through Thursday evening with 6 to
12+ inches in the forecast, but additional snow is likely into the weekend
as well.

Across the West Coast, a series of Pacific fronts will track into northern
California, Oregon and Washington over the next couple of days and weaken
as they move inland. These systems will bring light, moderate and
occasionally heavy rain to the coast of northern California and Oregon
where 2 to 4 inches of rain is expected through Thursday evening. Lighter
rainfall is expected farther north into western Washington while
accumulating snow falls into the Northern/Central Rockies, with the
highest snowfall accumulations expected for there through Thursday (6-18
inches, depending on elevation).

In addition, an increase in fire weather concerns for parts of the
Transverse Ranges of southern California will exist today, with an
Elevated Risk for of the spreading of wildfires lingering in southern
California for New Year’s Day. Gusty winds and low relative humidities
will contribute to the risk. Regarding temperatures, many locations west
of the Rockies will experience a warming trend over the next few days as
an upper ridge begins to build across the Southwest.

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.

Weather Outlook for the U.S. for Today Through at Least 22 Days and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: posted December 31, 2024

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
Tue Dec 31 2024
Valid 12Z Tue Dec 31 2024 – 12Z Thu Jan 02 2025

…Cooling trend spreads from West to East this week….

…Fire Weather concerns for portions of southern California and Texas
through mid-week…

Systems moving by the northern Intermountain West bring the promise of
snowy periods in and near western Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming through
Wednesday. The first of those systems moves out into the Midwest, Ohio
Valley, and Northeast, bringing rain and thunderstorms near and to the
cyclone’s east, with thunderstorms most likely across portions of the
Eastern Shore and New Jersey on the afternoon and early evening of New
Year’s Eve. As the cyclone moves through the Northeast on Wednesday, both
Lake Effect and Lake Enhanced snows will spread through the Great Lakes
and into the northern and central Appalachians. Between 6-12 inches of
snow are forecast to accumulate downwind of the Lower Great Lakes by
Thursday morning. Some mixed precipitation is expected across central New
England.

A system arriving from the Great Plains will promote snow showers for the
broader Great Lakes region on Tuesday. A cooling trend started in the
West expands east through the rest of the country over the next couple of
days. Building high pressure across the Great Basin is expected to
increase winds across southern California over the next couple of days,
promoting an increased fire weather risk which could become critical
through mid-week. Wind advisories, a red flag warning, and a fire weather
watch have all been posted for the area as well for parts of south-central
Texas through Tuesday.

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.