439
FXUS01 KWBC 042020
PMDSPD

Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
300 PM EST Thu Dec 04 2025

Valid 00Z Fri Dec 05 2025 - 00Z Sun Dec 07 2025

...Active winter weather pattern continues with snow impacting the
Great Lakes, interior Northeast (this afternoon), Pacific
Northwest/Rockies and into the northern Plains through the next
couple of days...

...Moderate to heavy rainfall for the Gulf Coast with isolated
flash flooding possible; some wintry precipitation expected north
into the Appalachians/Mid-Atlantic Friday...

...Surge of arctic air forecast to challenge low temperature
records across the northern Mid-Atlantic to New England Friday...

An active and snowy wintry weather pattern is forecast to continue
across the northern tier states and as far south as the
Mid-Atlantic states through the next couple of days.  The first in
a series of cold fronts is currently bring snow showers and even
brief periods of snow squalls from the lower Great Lakes to
interior New England this afternoon.  Additional cold fronts
associated with arctic air intrusions are expected to bring more
rounds of snow from the northern Plains to the upper and central
Great Lakes on Friday and heading into the weekend.  By Saturday,
another strong surge of arctic air from western Canada will begin
to make its way southeast into the northern U.S.  This arctic
surge will coincide with the arrival of a plume of Pacific
moisture and interaction with an upper-level jet stream.  This
interaction will develop a low pressure wave along the arctic
front and bring an expanding area of snow, locally heavy, across
the northern Rockies early on Saturday. The snow will then move
into the northern Plains during the day on Saturday.

To the west, significant snowfall across the Cascades and ranges
of the northern Rockies today will spread into the central Rockies
on Friday. Winter Storm Watches have been issued for snowfall
totals generally between 8-14", with higher amounts upwards of
2-3` possible for the higher mountain peaks. The mountain valleys
will see between 3-6". While accumulations should mainly remain
limited to the mountains, a wintry mix is expected for adjacent
areas of the northern/central Great Basin and northern High
Plains, with rain for the Pacific Northwest.  By Friday, the snow
should reach the Colorado Rockies before tapering off Friday
night.  In the mean time, the aforementioned moisture plume from
the Pacific will bring a round of moderate to locally heavy rain
to many locations across Washington and Oregon before reaching
Idaho, western Montana and Wyoming as snow in the mountains and
rain for the lower elevations.  By Saturday, the snow is expected
to expand into the central Rockies.  More than a foot of new snow
can be expected on Saturday near and around the higher elevations
of the northern Rockies.

Across the South, broad upper troughing interacting with a
stationary front along the Gulf Coast has led to the formation of
a low pressure system. An expanding area of precipiation with
embedded thunderstorms across central to eastern Gulf Coast region
will move farther inland tonight before redeveloping over the
Southeast to the Florida Panhandle on Friday. Some locally heavy
rainfall will be possible with an isolated threat for flash
flooding. Farther inland, another expanding area of rain across
the Deep South is forecast to move into the Southeast and further
expand into the central Appalachians tonight and into the
Mid-Atlantic on Friday.  With arctic air in place Friday morning,
a period of light snow is forecast to blanket portions of the
central Appalachians to the Mid-Atlantic region Friday morning.
Winter Weather Advisories are in place for potential snow
accumulations of 1-2" as well as a light glazing of ice.  A low
pressure system will quickly develop off the Carolina coast Friday
night and carry the snow out to sea with clearing skies on
Saturday for much of the East Coast. Some showers and embedded
thunderstorms will remain across the Southeast including the
northern half of Florida as the trailing front stalls.

Conditions remain well below average across much of the eastern
and central U.S. as this winter-like pattern remains in place. Yet
another cold front passage will bring some brutally cold low
temperatures to portions of the Midwest this morning, and then
into the northern Mid-Atlantic and New England Friday morning. Low
temperatures in the negative single digits and teens for the
Midwest and single digits and teens for the northern
Mid-Atlantic/New England may challenge some daily record low
temperatures. Forecast highs the next couple days will vary
depending on the timing of frontal passages, but generally range
in the teens to 20s for the Midwest, the 20s and 30s for New
England, the 30s and 40s for the central/southern Plains east
through the Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic, and the 40s and 50s
for Texas to the Southeast. The High Plains will see a return to
average if not a bit above average conditions with downsloping
winds off the Rockies in place, with highs into the 30s and 40s
north and 50s and 60s south. Conditions will also remain around or
above average for most of the West, with 40s for the interior, 50s
and 60s along the West Coast, and 60s and 70s for the Desert
Southwest. The Four Corners region will see some locally cooler
temperatures with highs in the 30s and 40s.

Kong/Putnam


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

$$