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 30, 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 30 2024
Valid 12Z Tue Apr 30 2024 – 12Z Thu May 02 2024…Severe Weather and Excessive Rainfall concerns for parts of the
Upper/Middle Mississippi Valley and Great Plains through mid-week……Critical Fire Weather potential over portions of the Southern High
Plains on Wednesday……Cool and snowy in the Northwest; warmer across the Central and Eastern
U.S….A pair of low pressure systems will bring showers and thunderstorm
activity to parts of the Central and Eastern U.S. respectively today. The
Central U.S. system will progress quickly through the Plains and into the
Upper/Middle Mississippi Valley today/tonight. The Storm Prediction Center
issued an Enhanced Risk (level 3/5) of Severe Thunderstorms for parts of
the Middle Missouri Valley into the Central Plains for this
afternoon/evening where very large hail, severe wind gusts and a few
tornadoes are expected. Some storms may produce heavy rain with high
rates, which is why a Slight Risk (at least 15%) of Excessive Rainfall
leading to Flash Flooding is in effect for parts of southeastern Kansas
into northeastern Oklahoma. Another area of low pressure is forecast to
develop out of the Southern Plains, and generate another round of storms
across the Plains and Mississippi Valley on Wednesday. SPC issued another
Enhanced Risk of Severe Thunderstorms over much of central Kansas and
northern Oklahoma while we have a broader Slight Risk of Excessive
Rainfall extending from northeastern Texas up into eastern Nebraska and
much of Iowa. A few tornadoes, very large hail and damaging winds are
possible from any severe storms that occur.Meanwhile, a slow moving mid-level low anchored over the Northwest will be
the reason why they experience below average temperatures over the next
few days. Embedded shortwave energy will support high elevation snow for
the Cascades and Northern Rockies, where snowfall accumulations will be in
the general range of 6-12 inches with isolated higher amounts possible by
Thursday morning. An amplifying ridge over the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast
will support above average temperatures across most of the eastern third
of the country over the next several days. Strong southerly flow into the
Plains beneath the right exit region of the upper trough will promote
warming across the region over the next few days. Lee cyclogenesis will
contribute to dry and windy conditions across portions of the Southwest
and Southern High Plains, which will support a Critical Risk of Fires on
Wednesday.