Today Through the Fourth Friday (22 to 28 days) Weather Outlook for the U.S. and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: posted April 2, 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 Apr 02 2024
Valid 12Z Tue Apr 02 2024 – 12Z Thu Apr 04 2024…Heavy snow over the Upper Great Lakes/Upper Mississippi Valley on
Tuesday and Wednesday; Heavy snow over Upstate New York and Northern New
England on Wednesday……There is a Moderate Risk of severe thunderstorms over parts of the Ohio
Valleys on Tuesday and two areas of Slight Risk over parts of the
Mid-Atlantic and Florida peninsula on Wednesday……There is a Sight Risk of excessive rainfall over parts of the Lower
Great Lakes, Ohio/Tennessee Valleys, and Central Appalachians on Tuesday…A deep storm over the Middle Mississippi and Ohio Valleys will move to
Southern New England by Thursday. The system will produce a large,
long-duration winter storm, producing gusty winds and late-season heavy
snow across portions of the Great Lakes and the Northeast from Tuesday
into Friday. The Upper Great Lakes are forecast to receive heavy snow.
Heavy snow will have a 60 to 70 percent likelihood of developing over
Wisconsin by Tuesday evening and expanding into the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan overnight Tuesday. Snow will continue over much of the region
through Wednesday, with additional heavy snow across the Upper Peninsula
of Michigan, before ending on Thursday.The same storm will produce Northeast snow and wind Wednesday-Friday.
Secondary low-pressure development along the Mid-Atlantic coast will have
a 60 to 70 percent likelihood of bringing heavy, wet snow and some sleet
to the Northeast Wednesday afternoon through Friday. Significant snow
accumulations are likely over Upstate New York and Northern New England.
The system will create significant impacts from heavy snow and wind, and
the combination of heavy snow rates and gusty winds will create a 60 to 70
percent likelihood of hazardous travel due to low visibility and
snow-covered roads. The wet snow and high snow load may also damage trees
and impact infrastructure.Moreover, along the associated front extending from the Mid-Atlantic to
the Ohio/Middle Mississippi Valleys, showers and severe thunderstorms will
develop over parts of the Ohio/Tennessee Valleys. Therefore, the SPC has
issued a Moderate Risk (level 4/5) of severe thunderstorms over parts of
the Ohio Valley through Wednesday morning. The hazards associated with
these thunderstorms are frequent lightning, severe thunderstorm wind
gusts, hail, and a few tornadoes. In addition, there is an increased
threat of EF2 � EF5 tornados over parts of the Ohio/Tennessee/Lower
Mississippi Valleys. Additionally, there is an increased threat of severe
thunderstorm wind gusts of 65 knots or greater over parts of the Ohio
Valley and a small portion of the Tennessee Valley. Further, there is an
increased threat of two-inch or greater hail over parts of the Ohio Valley.The storms will also produce heavy rain. Therefore, the WPC has issued a
Slight Risk (level 2/4) of excessive rainfall over parts of the Lower
Great Lakes, Ohio/Tennessee Valleys, and Central Appalachians through
Wednesday morning. The associated heavy rain will create mainly localized
areas of flash flooding, with urban areas, roads, and small streams the
most vulnerable.Showers and severe thunderstorms will develop over two areas as the front
moves across the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Southeast. Therefore, the
SPC has issued a Slight Risk (level 2/5) of severe thunderstorms over
parts of the Mid-Atlantic and a second area over the Florida peninsula
from Wednesday into Thursday morning. The hazards associated with these
thunderstorms are frequent lightning, severe thunderstorm wind gusts,
hail, and a few tornadoes.However, the threat of excessive rainfall will be limited to a Marginal
Risk over parts of northern Mid-Atlantic and Southern New England from
Wednesday through Thursday morning.Meanwhile, a front over the Eastern Pacific will move onshore over the
Pacific Northwest by late Tuesday afternoon and move eastward to the
Northern Rockies to the Great Basin and Southern California by Thursday.
The system will create coastal rain and higher-elevation snow moving
inland to the Northern Intermountain Region, Great Basin, and Northern
California overnight Wednesday into Thursday.