Prognostic Meteorological Discussion
Issued by NWS
Issued by NWS
013 FXUS02 KWBC 170751 PMDEPD Extended Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 351 AM EDT Thu Sep 17 2026 Valid 12Z Sat Sep 19 2026 - 12Z Wed Sep 23 2026 ...Heavy rainfall threatens the Lower Missouri Valley and Northeast, while monsoon storms reignite over the Southern High Plains/Rockies... ...Overview... A trough propagating across the northern tier may produce heavy rainfall over portions of the Northern Plains, Lower Missouri Valley and into the Northeast this weekend. A ridge in the Southeast will expand into the the South-Central U.S. while an East Pacific trough enters the West Coast. This will reignite monsoon storms over much of New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle beginning on Tuesday. Persistent diffluence will likely support showers and thunderstorms in the Mid-Atlantic next week, while a weak disturbance lingering around the Florida Peninsula will be responsible for daily heavy rainfall potential. ...Guidance/Predictability Assessment... The latest models are in reasonably good agreement on the evolution of the mid-level height pattern across the lower 48 during the medium range period. There`s some uncertainty around the location of the West Coast trough on days 6 and 7, with some models suggesting that it becomes a cut-off low and some phasing it back into the digging parent trough centered off the BC Coast. The Euro suite is favored throughout the medium range, with some UKMET involvement through day 4. The ensemble means are introduced to the blend on day 5 and increased in weighting through day 7. The exact evolution of a surface cold front pushing south through the East Coast next week is also uncertain. ...Weather/Hazards Highlights... A low pressure system with attendant surface fronts draped across the Central U.S., Midwest and East Coast will act as a focus for scattered showers and thunderstorms over the Northern/Central Plains and Northeast on Sunday. There`s a slight risk (at least 15% chance) of excessive rainfall for portions of northeastern Kansas into northern Missouri and western Illinois, with a more isolated flash flood threat over portions of the Ohio Valley, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic on Sunday. Showers and thunderstorms drift south along with the associated cold front on Monday. Isolated flash flooding will be possible for the Mid-Atlantic on Tuesday then the Southeast Coast by mid-week. Elsewhere, a West Coast trough and retrograding Southern U.S. ridge will create a corridor for monsoon moisture to lift north through beginning on Monday. Storms should proliferate across New Mexico and the Texas panhandle beginning on Tuesday and continuing through the rest of the week. Isolated to scattered flash flooding can be expected for those areas. Burn Scars in the Sangre de Cristo and Sacramento mountains, as well as slot canyons, dry washes, and recently saturated soils will be especially susceptible to flash flooding from next week`s rounds of monsoon storms. Kebede Additional 3-7 Day Hazard information can be found on the WPC medium range hazards outlook chart at: https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/threats/threats.php WPC medium range 500mb heights, surface systems, weather grids, quantitative precipitation forecast, excessive rainfall outlook, winter weather outlook probabilities, heat indices and Key Messages are at: https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/medr/5dayfcst500_wbg.gif https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/medr/5dayfcst_wbg_conus.gif https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/5km_grids/5km_gridsbody.html https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/day4-7.shtml https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/#page=ero https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wwd/pwpf_d47/pwpf_medr.php?day=4 https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/heat_index.shtml https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/#page=ovw $$