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.