27 Mar 2023 Market Close & Major Financial Headlines: Markets Opened Sharply Higher, Fell to Moderate Levels And Traded Sideways Until The Last hour Where The Three Major Indexes Skyrocket Higher Exceeding Opening Levels

Summary Of the Markets Today:

  • The Dow closed up 478 points or 1.22%,
  • Nasdaq closed up 0.51%,
  • S&P 500 closed up 0.86%,
  • Gold $2,212 up $13.20,
  • WTI crude oil settled at $82 up $0.07,
  • 10-year U.S. Treasury 4.190% down 0.044 points,
  • USD index $104.30 up $0.010,
  • Bitcoin $68,641 down $1,000 (0.10%),

*Stock data, cryptocurrency, and commodity prices at the market closing.


Click here to read our current Economic Forecast – March 2024 Economic Forecast: A Modest Improvement In Our Index Predicting Little Change In Main Street Growth


Today’s Economic Releases Compiled by Steven Hansen, Publisher:

When asked between February 20 and March 8 to rate optimism about the overall U.S. economy on a scale from 0 to 100, the average rating from CFOs was 60.6, up from 58.1 in the fourth quarter. Optimism about their own firm’s prospects remained higher than economic optimism, at an average of 68.5, up from 67.5 in the fourth quarter.

Here is a summary of headlines we are reading today:

  • Western Wind Turbine Manufacturers Struggle to Compete with Chinese Pricing
  • Investigators To Examine Whether Dirty Fuel Caused Baltimore Bridge Crash
  • Nickel Prices Expected to Drop Further in 2024
  • Nissan Unveils New Strategy to Combat Influx of Competitive Chinese EVs
  • Baltimore Coal Exports Blocked After Bridge Collapse
  • Pump Prices Set to Hit $4 a Gallon
  • Dow surges more than 450 points, S&P 500 closes at a fresh record: Live updates
  • Amazon spends $2.75 billion on AI startup Anthropic in its largest venture investment yet
  • Ron Insana’s new firm aims to bring AI-powered trade ideas to individual investors
  • AMC’s stock on pace for biggest gain in a month

Click on the “Read More” below to access these, other headlines, and the associated news summaries moving the markets today.

Today Through the Fourth Friday (22 to 28 days) Weather Outlook for the U.S. and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: posted March 27, 2024

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
Wed Mar 27 2024
Valid 12Z Wed Mar 27 2024 – 12Z Fri Mar 29 2024

…Rainy, stormy weather across the Southeast Coast through Thursday…

…Unsettled weather arrives over Northwest today…

…Warming trend begins over Central U.S. on Thursday…

A stalled out surface front along the Southeast Coast will be the focus
for heavy rain and thunderstorms through Thursday afternoon. There are
Slight Risks (at least 15%) of Excessive Rainfall leading to Flash
Flooding over parts of eastern North Carolina and southeast
Georgia/northern Florida today, where areas of surface low pressure along
the stationary front may enhance rainfall rates/totals. The Storm
Prediction Center has only a Marginal Risk (level 1/5) of Severe
Thunderstorms along the Southeast Coast today. Rain showers should develop
along the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Coasts today along and ahead of a
northern stream cold front. There’s a Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall
for portions of southeastern Virginia into northeastern North Carolina on
Thursday morning, right before the low pressure system and associated
precipitation push off into the Atlantic. Showers continue along the
Northeast Coast on Thursday with some potential snow showers developing
over interior portions of New England. Coastal low development along the
New England coast could also support some enhanced rain totals for
southern New England, in particular, by Friday morning.

Out West, a period of rainy/snowy weather will ensue across the Northwest
today. Precipitation will spread across the Pacific Northwest this morning
then into northern California and the interior Northwest this
afternoon/evening. Moderate to heavy snow is possible over parts of the
Cascades, Sierra Nevada and Northern Rockies; where between 1-2 feet of
snow may accumulate by Friday morning. Elsewhere, troughing along the lee
of the Rockies will promote southerly flow into the Great Plains beginning
Thursday. This pattern will support above average temperatures from the
Central/Southern Plains into the Midwest through the weekend.

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.

26 Mar 2023 Market Close & Major Financial Headlines: Markets Opened Fractionally Higher, Traded Mostly Sideways In The Green, Then Like A Waterfall, The Markets Fell Sharply During The Last Hour Of Today’s Session

Summary Of the Markets Today:

  • The Dow closed down 31 points or 0.08%,
  • Nasdaq closed down 0.42%,
  • S&P 500 closed down 0.28%,
  • Gold $2,200 up $1.70,
  • WTI crude oil settled at $82 down $0.43,
  • 10-year U.S. Treasury 4.232% down 0.021 points,
  • USD index $104.33 down $0.150,
  • Bitcoin $69,889 down $966 (1.33%), – Historic high 73,798.25

Click here to read our current Economic Forecast – March 2024 Economic Forecast: A Modest Improvement In Our Index Predicting Little Change In Main Street Growth


Today’s Economic Releases Compiled by Steven Hansen, Publisher:

New orders for manufactured durable goods in February 2024 improved and is up 2.6% year-over-year – but is down 1.6% year-over-year inflation-adjusted. Negative growth in durable goods is not a sign of a growing economy.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index 20-City Composite posted a year-over-year increase of 6.6% in January 2024, up from a 6.2% increase in the previous month. Brian D. Luke, Head of Commodities, Real & Digital Assets at S&P Dow Jones Indices stated:

We’ve commented on how consistent each market performed during 2023 and that continues to be the case. While there is a large disparity between leaders such as San Diego versus laggards such as with Portland, the broad market performance is tightly bunched up. This is also true of high and low tiers. The average annual gains between high and low tiers across cities tracked by the indices is just 1.1%. Low price tiered indices have outperformed high priced indices for 17 months. Homeowners most likely saw healthy gains in the last year, no matter what city you were in, or if it was in an expensive or inexpensive neighborhood. No matter which way you slice it, the index performance closely resembled the broad market.

The Richmond Fed manufacturing activity slowed in March 2024. The composite manufacturing index decreased from −5 in February to −11. Of its three component indexes, shipments remained solidly negative at −14, new orders fell from −5 to −17, and employment fell from 7 to 0. Manufacturing remains in a recession in the U.S.

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® was 104.7 (1985=100) in March, essentially unchanged from a downwardly revised 104.8 in February. Dana M. Peterson, Chief Economist at The Conference Board added:

Consumers’ assessment of the present situation improved in March, but they also became more pessimistic about the future. Confidence rose among consumers aged 55 and over but deteriorated for those under 55. Separately, consumers in the $50,000-$99,999 income group reported lower confidence in March, while confidence improved slightly in all other income groups. However, over the last six months, confidence has been moving sideways with no real trend to the upside or downside either by income or age group.

 

Here is a summary of headlines we are reading today:

  • South Africa Won’t Ditch Coal Anytime Soon
  • OPEC: Oil Industry Needs $11 Trillion in Upstream Investment by 2045
  • Subsidy Investigation Sent China’s EV Exports to the EU Plunging by 20%
  • Bullish Sentiment Brings $90 Oil Within Reach
  • Logistics companies scramble after bridge collapse closes Port of Baltimore until further notice
  • S&P 500 closes lower for a third straight session as market rally cools: Live updates
  • Stocks trade near records, but chances are your portfolio isn’t sufficiently protected from a fall
  • Bitcoin maintains $70,000, and KuCoin charged with anti-money laundering violations: CNBC Crypto World
  • Tesla Cooperates With CATL On Faster-Charging Battery Technology
  • Donald Trump media firm soars in stock market debut
  • Treasury yields hold steady as traders eye February inflation data at end of week

Click on the “Read More” below to access these, other headlines, and the associated news summaries moving the markets today.

Today Through the Fourth Friday (22 to 28 days) Weather Outlook for the U.S. and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: posted March 26, 2024

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
Tue Mar 26 2024
Valid 12Z Tue Mar 26 2024 – 12Z Thu Mar 28 2024

…Winter Storm comes to an end over the Northern/Central Plains and Upper
Midwest; well below average temperatures over Great Plains…

…Severe Weather potential over parts of the Midwest and central Gulf
Coast today…

…Heavy to Excessive Rainfall possible over portions of the Southeast and
Mid-Atlantic…

…Unsettled weather returns to the Northwest on Wednesday…

Heavy snow and blizzard conditions associated with a deep mid-latitude
cyclone impacting the Northern/Central Plains and Upper Midwest will come
to an end today. Additional snowfall accumulations of 2-4 inches are
expected across eastern Minnesota by Wednesday morning, when the system is
forecast to move into Ontario/southern Canada. A frigid airmass will
continue to spread across the Great Plains today and Wednesday behind a
cold front. Highs will be 15-25 degrees below average for much of the
Plains today. Temperatures will moderate later this week.

Rain showers and scattered to isolated thunderstorm activity are likely
east of the Mississippi River today. Storms will organize along a pair of
cold fronts associated with two separate low pressure systems; the Upper
Midwest system and the Gulf Coast system. The Storm Prediction Center
issued a Slight Risk of Severe Thunderstorms (level 2/5) for parts of the
southern Great Lakes and for portions of the Gulf Coast today. Damaging
wind gusts will be the main threat for both areas, but a brief tornado
can’t be ruled out over the Gulf Coast. The Gulf system is forecasted to
stall out over the Southeast/Florida panhandle this afternoon/evening
leading to potentially heavy rainfall occurring particularly over the
Florida panhandle. Significant moisture return from the Gulf will interact
with the slow moving cold front, which will produce an axis of 2-4 inches
of rain from northern Florida through the Southeast coast on Wednesday. A
Slight Risk (at least 15%) of Excessive Rainfall leading to Flash Flooding
is in effect for parts of north-central Florida into southern Georgia.

A deep low pressure system will bring another round of unsettled weather
to the Northwest beginning on Wednesday. Low elevation rain and mountain
snow are expected from this system. Accumulating snow should remain
confined to the higher elevations of the Cascades, Sierra Nevada and
Northern Rockies. Some 1-2 inch 24 hour rainfall totals pose a Marginal
Risk (at least 5%) of Excessive Rainfall leading to Flash Flooding over
parts of the northern California into southern Oregon coastline.

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.

25Mar2024 Market Close & Major Financial Headlines: A Down Day But The Markets Are Still In The Green For March

Summary Of the Markets Today:

  • The Dow closed down 162 points or 0.41%,
  • Nasdaq closed down 0.27%,
  • S&P 500 closed down 0.31%,
  • Gold $2172 down $56,
  • WTI crude oil settled at $82 up $1.38,
  • 10-year U.S. Treasury 4.249% up 0.031 points,
  • USD index $104.22 up $0.22,
  • Bitcoin $70,366 up $3,131

Click here to read our current Economic Forecast – March 2024 Economic Forecast: A Modest Improvement In Our Index Predicting Little Change In Main Street Growth


Today’s Economic Releases Compiled by Steven Hansen, Publisher:

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) three-month moving average, CFNAI-MA3, decreased to –0.18 in February from –0.11 in January. Economic expansion has historically been associated with a CFNAI-MA3 value above –0.70 and a significant likelihood of an expansion has historically been associated with a CFNAI-MA3 value above +0.20. The CFNAI is my favorite coincident index. The bottom line here is that the economy is expanding, but is expanding  below the historical average for periods of expansion.

Sales of new single‐family houses in February 2024 were up 5.9% above February 2023. The median sales price of new houses sold in February 2024 was $400,500 – which is 7.6% lower than the price one year ago. The average sales price was $485,000. The seasonally‐adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of February was 463,000. This represents a supply of 8.4 months at the current sales rate. New home sales remains a bright spot in the economy.

Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey activity weakened in March after stabilizing in February. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, fell five points to -4.1, a reading that suggests a slight decline in output month over month. Manufacturing remains in a recession in the U.S.

Here is a summary of headlines we are reading today:

  • Decentralized Renewable Energy Helps Ukraine Weather Russian Attacks
  • Chip War Escalates as China Bans Intel, AMD Chips in Government Computers
  • Russian Refinery Halts Half Its Capacity Following a Ukrainian Drone Attack
  • Truth Social owner Trump Media will begin trading under DJT ticker Tuesday
  • Boeing CEO to step down in broad management shake-up as 737 Max crisis weighs on aerospace giant
  • Our Economy And Politics Are Broken
  • Why Is The National Guard Being Deployed During The Great American Eclipse On April 8th?
  • EV maker Lucid rallies after $1 billion investment by majority stockholder as it burns cash

Click on the “Read More” below to access these, other headlines, and the associated news summaries moving the markets today.

Today Through the Fourth Friday (22 to 28 days) Weather Outlook for the U.S. and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: posted March 25, 2024

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
Mon Mar 25 2024
Valid 12Z Mon Mar 25 2024 – 12Z Wed Mar 27 2024

…Major Winter Storm continues today…

…Excessive Rainfall and Severe Weather impacts across Mississippi Valley
and central Gulf Coast…

…Critical Risk of Fire Weather over southern Texas; frigid temperatures
expand across Great Plains…

A powerful storm system will impact the Northern/Central Plains into the
Upper Midwest through Tuesday. Periods of snow and gusty winds will
continue from the Central Plains to northern Minnesota, along with some
sleet and freezing rain in parts of the Upper Mississippi Valley. Snow
accumulating at rates of 1-2″/hr in heavier bands are expected from
central Nebraska and eastern South Dakota to northern Minnesota.
Additional snowfall totals between 6-12 inches are forecast from central
Nebraska to northeastern Minnesota. Heavy snow and gusty winds approaching
50 mph will produce blizzard conditions with near zero visibility into
early Tuesday. Travel could be nearly impossible. Power outages and tree
damage are likely in some areas due to the heavy and wet snow combined
with icing and strong winds. Winter Storm/Blizzard Warnings and Winter
Weather Advisories are in effect from portions of the Central/Southern
High Plains to the Upper Midwest.

In the warm sector of the winter storm, scattered rain showers and
thunderstorms will spread across the Mississippi Valley and central Gulf
Coast ahead of a cold front today. There’s an Enhanced Risk of Severe
Thunderstorms (level 2/5) to occur across portions of southeast Arkansas
into northeast Louisiana and central Mississippi. Tornadoes and damaging
winds are possible through tonight from parts of east Texas through the
Lower Mississippi Valley, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
There’s also a Slight Risk (at least 15%) of Excessive Rainfall leading to
Flash Flooding over portions of southern Missouri down through Arkansas,
Mississippi and west-central Alabama. While the Severe Weather threat
wanes on Tuesday, the Excessive Rainfall threat simply shifts into the
Southeast. A Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall is in effect over portions
of southern Alabama, southwestern Georgia and the Florida panhandle on
Tuesday, due, in part, to a stalled out low pressure system along the Gulf
Coast.

Strong westerly flow along the base of an upper trough will support very
dry and gusty winds in excess of 25 mph over portions of the Southern
Plains today. Thus the Storm Prediction Center issued a Critical Fire
Weather area (level 2/3) for far southern Texas. A frigid airmass will
spill out over the Great Plains today, where high temperature anomalies
will be 15-30 degrees below average. A moderating temperature trend begins
on Tuesday. Unsettled weather returns to the Pacific Northwest by
Wednesday thanks to a deep low pressure system.

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.

Financial Sector Debt and Inflation. Part 3

The full data sets for the 71 years from 1952 to 2022 show no discernable association patterns (correlations) for financial sector debt (FSD) and inflation changes.1  Thus, we started an analysis by looking specifically at the various regimes of inflation change during the 71-year timeline.  The most recent post2 analyzed the eight time periods over 71 years with positive inflation surges.  This article analyzes the association of FSD during the five periods from 1952 to 2022 with negative inflation (disinflation/deflation) surges.


Photo by Ehud Neuhaus on Unsplash.

Today Through the Fourth Friday (22 to 28 days) Weather Outlook for the U.S. and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: posted March 24, 2024

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
Sun Mar 24 2024
Valid 12Z Sun Mar 24 2024 – 12Z Tue Mar 26 2024

…High-impact winter storm continues across portions of the
Northern/Central Plains and Upper Midwest through early week…

…Excessive Rainfall and Severe Thunderstorm threatens Southern Plains to
Southeast…

…Critical Fire Weather for Central/Southern High Plains today; frigid
airmass descends into Great Plains…

A potent closed low will continue fueling a powerful and dynamic winter
storm across the Great Plains and Upper Midwest over the next couple days.
Heavy snow will expand into the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest today
and continue into Tuesday. Heavy snow is also expected in parts of the
Central Plains tonight and Monday. There is a high chance (>70%) of at
least 8 inches of snow extending from northern Nebraska and central South
Dakota northeastward to central Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.
Heavy snow and gusty winds will produce areas of blowing and drifting snow
and possible blizzard conditions today into Monday. Hazardous travel and
road closures are expected late today into early week.

Strong winds and heavy, wet snow on trees and power lines may damage trees
and cause power outages. Wind gusts over 50 mph today may result in power
outages, blowing dust with reduced visibility, difficult travel and
property damage. Critical Fire weather conditions are forecast in portions
of the Southern Plains today, where Red Flags are also in effect.
Anomalously cold air will filter in behind the winter storm, spilling out
into Montana today then the Great Plains through early week. High
temperatures in the 20s and 30s across the High Plains over the next
couple days will be 15-30 degrees below average.

Excessive Rainfall and Severe Thunderstorms are possible within the warm
sector of the aforementioned dynamic winter storm over the next couple
days. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected across portions of
the Central/Southern Plains today. There’s a Slight Risk (level 2/5) of
Severe Thunderstorms over parts of central Kansas into northern-central
Oklahoma this afternoon through evening where isolated to scattered severe
storms could produce large hail and a few tornadoes. Showers and
thunderstorms develop over the Mississippi Valley on Monday as the winter
storm moves into the Plains and a southern stream system organizes along
the Gulf Coast. The combination of these two systems may produce heavy to
Excessive Rainfall, as well as scattered Severe Thunderstorms from the
central Gulf Coast up into the Middle Mississippi Valley. There are Slight
Risks of Excessive Rainfall (level 2/4) and Severe Thunderstorms (level
2/5) for these areas. A few tornadoes and damaging winds are possible
Monday through Monday night from parts of east Texas into the Lower
Mississippi Valley.

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.

Colorado Basin Water Supply Forecast Plus More: Posted March 23, 2024

The mission of the National Weather Service Colorado Basin River Forecast Center (CBRFC) is to produce river, flood, and water supply forecasts for the Colorado Basin and the Great Basin in support of saving lives and property and to enhance the region’s environment and economy. The Colorado Basin River Forecast Center (CBRFC) geographic forecast area includes the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB), Lower Colorado River Basin (LCRB), and Eastern Great Basin (GB). You can access their website HERE.

In this article, I am providing a summary of their Water Supply Forecast Discussion released on March 19, 2024.  The situation has improved but there is a lot of variability. It is not the usual north (dry) to south (wet) pattern that one expects with El Nino but more of a north (dry) center (wet) south (dry) pattern related to the storm track where it is wetter than north or south of the storm track.  It shows up in terms of the Upper versus Lower Colorado Basin. Due to a wet winter last year, the reservoirs are mostly in good shape.

I have also included information on the current BOR reservoir storage levels including some that are outside of the Colorado River Basin. I also provide information on New Mexico which is partly in the Colorado Basin and mostly outside of the Colorado Basin.

The image below shows part of the area covered in the CBRFC Report.  The map shown here is only the Colorado Basin. The Eastern Great Basin is to the west of this map. The maps shown in the article cover both basins but are not as scenic as this map.

Map showing both the Colorado Basin and Eastern Great Basin.

Please click on “Read More” to read the rest of this article.

Today Through the Fourth Friday (22 to 28 days) Weather Outlook for the U.S. and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: posted March 23, 2024

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
Sat Mar 23 2024
Valid 12Z Sat Mar 23 2024 – 12Z Mon Mar 25 2024

…Swath of Heavy Snow to impact portions of northern Vermont, New
Hampshire and Maine today…

…Significant Winter Storm likely across parts of the Northern Plains and
Upper Midwest; Severe Weather and Critical Fire Risk over Central/Southern
Plains on Sunday...

…Excessive Rainfall concerns along DC to Boston urban corridor today…

A number of low pressure systems will produce unsettled weather across the
East and West Coasts today. In the East, a northern stream system will
bring heavy snow to interior Northeast/northern New England today. Winter
Storm Warnings are in effect from northeastern New York through Vermont,
New Hampshire and Maine where a swath of heavy snow will likely dump
between 6-12 inches with isolated higher amounts through tonight. To the
south, scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to impact the rest
coastal Northeast down to the southern tip of Florida today. A
particularly heavy axis of rainfall is forecast to setup along the I-95
corridor from Washington DC to Boston today where a Slight Risk of
Excessive Rainfall leading to Flash Flooding is in effect (level 2/4).
Conditions improve across the East Coast on Sunday.

Out West, a potent upper-level low will promote coastal scattered to
isolated thunderstorms and low elevation rain showers, while heavy snow
blankets the Sierra and Shasta Siskiyous today. Snow showers spread into
the Rockies this afternoon. Snowfall totals of 6-12 inches are expected
for the aforementioned areas by the end of the weekend. The upper trough
associated with the unsettled weather in the West will be responsible for
the development of a major winter storm over the Northern Plains and Upper
Midwest beginning today.

An extensive and high impact storm system will produce widespread heavy
snow and gusty winds over the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest through
early next week. Heavy snow will likely spread across much of central and
eastern Montana tonight, then expand into the Northern Plains and Upper
Midwest on Sunday and continue into Monday. There is a high chance (>70%)
of at least eight inches of snow extending from portions of the Dakotas
and north-central Nebraska northeastward through Minnesota and into
northern Wisconsin. Heavy snow and gusty winds will produce areas of
blowing and drifting snow and possible blizzard conditions Sunday into
Monday. Hazardous travel and road closures are expected late Saturday into
early next week. Strong Winds and heavy, wet snow on trees and power lines
may result in tree damage and power outages. Blustery wind gusts in excess
of 50 mph on Sunday may result in power outages, blowing dust that results
in reduced visibility and damage to property.

There are severe and fire weather concerns within the warm sector of this
dynamic system. There’s a Slight Risk of Severe Thunderstorms (level 2/5)
across parts of Kansas and Oklahoma on Saturday, where large hail and a
few tornadoes will be the main threats. Strong southwesterly flow
beginning today will support an elevated fire weather threat over far
western Texas. Rapid cyclogenesis and strengthening of the Plains winter
storm will lead to increased dry southwesterly flow into the
Central/Southern High Plains behind a well-defined dry line on Saturday.
These conditions will support a Critical Fire Weather threat on Saturday.

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.

For those who may have missed the Seasonal Outlook article yesterday, here is a graphic that covers April and the three months April/May/June. But the Four Season Outlook is likely to have negative impacts for various parts of the U.S. so I recommend that you read the full article which you can access HERE.

But in terms of April and the three-month outlook, the below graphic provides a single graphic summary of the near term. It is the intermediate-term and long-term that is more concerning.

Please click on “Read More” below to access the full Daily Report issued today.