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 28, 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 Feb 28 2024
Valid 12Z Wed Feb 28 2024 – 12Z Fri Mar 01 2024…Heavy snow over parts of the Cascades, the Northern Intermountain
Region, Northern California, and Sierra Nevada Mountains……Light to moderate snow over the Great Lakes, Central Appalachians, and
Northeast……Temperatures will be 10 to 25 degrees above average over parts of the
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic…A second winter storm will impact the West Coast on Wednesday and
Thursday. The second significant winter storm will primarily affect the
Northwest Wednesday and Thursday before significantly impacting the
Northern and Central California mountains Friday.The storm will create heavy mountain snow that will affect many passes.
Multiple feet of snow are likely (over 80% chance) for higher elevations,
significantly above 5000 feet, including many Cascade and Sierra Nevada
Mountains passes. Extremely heavy snow rates surpassing 3 inches per hour
are possible in these mountain ranges.Furthermore, the storm will produce blizzard conditions in the Sierra
Nevada Mountains. In detail, strong winds will cause significant blowing
and drifting snow, with whiteout conditions, making travel impossible in
the Sierra Nevada Mountains. There is a high chance (over 70%) of
substantial, long-lasting disruptions to daily life in the higher
elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains Friday, where blizzard
conditions and over 5 feet of snow are expected.Moreover, in addition to the snow, coastal rain will develop over parts of
the Pacific Northwest Wednesday into Friday. Coastal rain will develop
over parts of Northern California overnight Wednesday, continuing into
Friday. The rain moves into Central California on Thursday, continuing
into Friday, and parts of Southern California by Friday morning.Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a deep low over the Upper Great Lakes will move
northeastward into Eastern Canada by Wednesday evening. The associated
front will move off the East and Gulf Coast by Thursday morning. Ahead of
the front, southerly wind will bring warm temperatures of 10 to 25 degrees
above average over parts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.On Wednesday, the boundary will create showers and thunderstorms from the
Central Gulf Coast to the Northeast. In the wake of the front, moderate to
heavy snow will develop over the Great Lakes into the Northeast, with
light to moderate snow over the Central Appalachians on Wednesday. In
addition, on Thursday, lake-effect snow will develop downwind from the
Great Lakes, ending by Thursday night.Elsewhere, upper-level energy moving into the Southwest and Southern
Rockies will produce scattered showers, thunderstorms, and
higher-elevation snow from Wednesday afternoon into Thursday. Overnight
Thursday, showers and thunderstorms will develop over parts of the
Southern Plains, moving into the Lower Mississippi, Tennessee, and
Southern Ohio Valleys and parts of the Southeast.