Today Through the Fourth Friday (22 to 28 days) Weather Outlook for the U.S. and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: posted February 21, 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 update can be found here if I have not updated it.
Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
Wed Feb 21 2024
Valid 12Z Wed Feb 21 2024 – 12Z Fri Feb 23 2024…Rain and snow impacts across California come to an end today…
…Above average temperatures across the lower 48 into late week…
…Critical Fire Weather day over portions of the Southern High Plains on
Wednesday…Rain and snow showers will gradually weaken across the state of California
today before coming to an end tonight. In the meantime, snow showers will
produce 6-12 inches of new snow for the Intermountain West and Central
Rockies. Surface cyclogenesis over the lee of the Rockies will support
strong west/southwesterly winds carrying dry air out of the Southwest and
into the Southern High Plains this afternoon. Thus, the Storm Prediction
Center issued a Critical Risk of Fire Weather over portions of
southeastern New Mexico into far western Texas.The upper-level trough responsible for the unsettled weather in the West
will quickly move across the Rockies today and into the Plains by
Thursday. This will spawn a low pressure system over the Central/Southern
Plains which will tap some moisture from the Gulf of Mexico as it moves
across the Mississippi Valley. This interaction will produce rain showers
and scattered thunderstorms across the Midwest/Ohio Valley on Thursday.Meanwhile, an upper ridge will generate temperatures that are well above
average across the Plains and Mississippi Valley today. Temperatures will
be anywhere from 20-30 degrees above average in these areas. Southerly
flow will send mild temperatures streaming into the East Coast on Thursday
ahead of the approaching low pressures system. The Florida peninsula will
remain below average temperature-wise through the end of the week.