327
FXUS01 KWBC 022009
PMDSPD

Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
300 PM EST Tue Dec 02 2025

Valid 00Z Wed Dec 03 2025 - 00Z Fri Dec 05 2025

...A rapidly intensifying coastal storm will bring additional
moderate to heavy snow across interior New England through
tonight...

...A surge of arctic air is forecast to challenge low temperature
records over the Midwest Thursday...

...Snow showers linger across the Great Lakes and Great
Basin/Rockies as moderate to heavy rain emerges along the western
to central Gulf Coast...

The first winter-storm of the season is well under way across
interior New England this afternoon with widespread moderate and
heavy snow across the region.  Meanwhile, a low pressure system is
rapidly intensifying just off the Mid-Atlantic.  This coastal
storm will lift additional moisture coming from the Atlantic along
a sharp coastal front and then dump the moisture as snow over
interior New England through tonight before ending Wednesday
morning.  Snowfall totals of generally 5 to 10 inches are expected
from central New England to Downeast Maine with isolated 12 inches
possible.  Blustery northwesterly winds early Wednesday morning
across the Northeast will gradually subside during the day as the
coastal storm will exit in a hurry.  Clearing skies and chilly
weather will prevail from the South to the East Coast behind the
storm on Wednesday, and will continue into Thursday for the East
Coast under the influence of a high pressure system.

To the west, a pair of frontal systems coupled with digging
upper-level troughs are expected to bring a round of scattered
wintry weather to portions of the central and western U.S.  First,
an upper-wave dropping southward will bring moderate to locally
heavy mountain snow through the Great Basin/Rockies over the next
couple of days. Lower elevations will also see some snow showers,
though accumulations will generally remain limited.  However, one
exception will be along the Colorado Front Range where areas of
the High Plains along and east of the foothills are forecast to
see some moderate accumulations.  To the north, a clipper-like
system will bring light snow showers to the northern Plains
Tuesday.  As the system reaches the Great Lakes on Wednesday,
lake-enhanced snow showers will bring more moderate accumulations
to favorable downwind locations.  Behind the clipper system, a
strong arctic high pressure system will bring a surge of arctic
air into the northern and central U.S. through Thursday.  The
arctic air will be cold enough to challenge some daily low
temperature records (both the record low and record cold maximum
temperatures) over the Midwest on Thursday.

As the arctic high pressure system invades the northern and
central U.S., the aforementioned upper-wave will emerge into the
southern Plains on Thursday and will begin to interact with a
front near the Gulf Coast.  This pattern will increase the chance
of moderate to heavy rain on Thursday along the western to central
Gulf Coast, with light rain farther inland from the Arklatex to
the Deep South.  Over the Pacific Northwest, moisture from the
next Pacific system is forecast to reach the Pacific Northwest
during the day on Thursday with rain for the lower elevations
while wet snow is forecast for the northern Cascades.

Much of the eastern and central U.S. will continue to see well
below average, chilly temperatures in this winter-like pattern in
which broad, stagnant upper-toughing are in place with repeated
cold frontal passages.  Forecast highs generally range from the
20s and 30s for the Midwest and New England, the 30s and 40s for
the Mid-Atlantic, and the 40s and 50s for the Southeast.  Areas
along the southeast Atlantic coast Tuesday and the central/western
Gulf Coast Wednesday will see much warmer highs into the 60s as
the position of the lingering frontal boundary fluctuates.  The
High Plains will also see a warm up today as highs rise into the
30s/40s north and 50s/60s south with downsloping winds in place.
Another cold front will bring a return of frigid temperatures
Wednesday as highs plummet into the single digits and teens in the
northern Plains and 20s and 30s into the central High Plains. This
cold front will also bring the potential for widespread near
record-tying/breaking lows Thursday morning across portions of the
Midwest, with temperatures as low as the negative teens. The West
will generally remain at or above average, with highs in the 40s
for the interior, 50s and 60s along the West Coast, and 60s and
70s in the Desert Southwest. A cold front will bring some cooler
temperatures in the 30s to portions of the interior on Wednesday.

Kong/Putnam

Graphics available at
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php

$$