Today Through the Fourth Friday (22 to 28 days) Weather Outlook for the U.S. and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: posted June 18, 2024
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 after about 4 p.m. New York time but it is unlikely to have changed very much from the morning update. The images in this article automatically update.
Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
Tue Jun 18 2024
Valid 12Z Tue Jun 18 2024 – 12Z Thu Jun 20 2024…Significant heavy rain/flash flooding threat with gusty winds well
ahead of Potential T.C. One expected to impact southern Texas on
Wednesday...…More rounds of heavy rain and severe thunderstorms expected for the
northern Plains and upper Midwest today before shifting south into the
central Plains on Wednesday……A heat wave will persist over the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and the
Northeast through midweek……Late-season wet snow continues across the high-elevations of the
northern Rockies today before tapering off early on Wednesday…An active weather pattern continues across the U.S. mainland. This
weather pattern that features snow, heat, heavy rain, severe
thunderstorms, strong winds, and fire weather is now bringing Potential
Tropical Cyclone One in the midst. A low pressure system currently
intensifying along a frontal boundary is fostering another round of heavy
rain and severe thunderstorms across the northern Plains into the upper
Midwest early this morning. The potent upper trough and the associated
dome of cold air have continued to result in a round of late-season wet
snow across the higher-elevations of the northern Rockies together with
rather strong wind gusts. With less potent jet stream energy behind this
system, the low pressure system will quickly eject into southern Canada by
this evening, bringing the inclement weather across the northern Plains to
an end by Wednesday morning. However, a sharp front trailing south and
southwest from the low center will likely trigger an axis of heavy rain
and severe thunderstorms from the central Plains to the upper Midwest by
tonight into Wednesday morning. From Wednesday into Thursday morning, the
rain/storms should gradually become more scattered in nature across the
central Plains as a cool high pressure system passes to the north. This
high pressure system will also push the widely scattered showers and
embedded thunderstorms farther east into the lower Great Lakes and
interior New England through Thursday morning.In stark contrast to the cool, windy, rainy and even snowy weather in the
West, a heat wave will settle and persist across the Great Lakes, Ohio
Valley and the Northeast through the next few days. Forecast highs today
and Wednesday will reach into the mid- to upper 90s, even the century mark
Wednesday and Thursday afternoon at the hottest locations in interior
northern New England. Widespread, numerous record-tying/breaking high
temperatures are possible. Additionally, morning lows will remain in
about the mid-70s, at record-tying/breaking levels, providing little
relief from the heat overnight. The early arrival of this magnitude of
heat, the duration, abundant sunshine, and lack of relief overnight will
increase the danger of this heatwave beyond what the exact temperature
values would suggest. This is especially true for those without adequate
air conditioning, which becomes more of a concern for locations further
north that are not as accustomed to periods of persistent heat.Another big weather story over the next couple of days will be in the Gulf
of Mexico where the National Hurricane Center has already initiated
advisories on Potential Tropical Cyclone One. An elongated upper trough
digging into the southern Plains and northeastern Mexico has already drawn
a plume of tropical moisture northward into the central Gulf Coast region.
This upper trough will be instrumental in drawing the tropical moisture
well north of the center of PTC One into southern Texas mainly on
Wednesday as PTC One tracks west toward northern Mexico. An axis of very
heavy rain may develop just inland of the Texas coastline behind a coastal
front with dynamic support from the elongated upper trough. This pattern
could result in locally heavy rainfall in excess of 10 inches near or just
inland of the lower to middle Texas coast which would result in
significant flash flooding. The heavy rain is forecast to push farther
inland across the Rio Grande Valley early on Thursday. In addition to the
heavy rainfall, some coastal flooding along with tropical-storm-force
winds can be expected up the Texas coast on Wednesday. See the latest
advisory from the National Hurricane Center for additional detailed
updates. Meanwhile, fire danger across the Four Corners region should
gradually ease over the next few days with the arrival of slightly cooler
air followed by the arrival of moisture from the northern edge of
Potential Tropical Cyclone One.