Preliminary Forecasts
Issued by NWS
Issued by NWS
559 FXUS02 KWNH 200807 PREEPD Preliminary Extended Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 306 AM EST Thu Nov 20 2025 Valid 12Z Sun Nov 23 2025 - 12Z Thu Nov 27 2025 ...Southern Plains Heavy Rain/Runoff Threat Sunday/Monday... ...Overview... A major closed upper low will work into/south of an unsettled Southwest U.S. into this weekend and eject to the south-central U.S. into Monday. Lead return flow is set to fuel another south- central U.S. heavy rainfall/runoff threat there. The system will then shear eastward and bring moderating rainfall potential across the east-central U.S. to the Mid-Atlantic/East early next week, with lingering activity later next week possibly trailing back over the Southeast/South. Meanwhile, a couple of upper level troughs will swing across the northern tier of the nation in more progressive flow, resulting in some periods of precipitation for the Northwest and with more substance over the Northeast, especially Sunday and mid-later next week. ...Guidance/Predictability Assessment... Medium-range guidance forecast spread has decreased recently and shows a pattern transition next week from split flow to more stream energy phased. However, there remains ample run to run embedded system timing variances, so the WPC medium range product suite was mainly derived from a composite blend of reasonably well clustered guidance of the GFS/ECMWF/Canadian/UKMET and increasing over time an infusion of the GEFS/ECMWF/Canadian ensemble means. This blend is compatible with National Blend of Models and WPC continuity. This forecast plan seems to offer a solid forecast base and the blend tends to mitigate lingering guidance variances as consistent with individual predictabililty. ...Weather/Hazards Highlights... Light to moderate precipitation should spread across the Southwest this weekend, and the potential for heavier rainfall amounts looks to return to the south-Central U.S. Sunday into Monday. There are signals that this could be a significant rainfall event. WPC Day 4/Sunday and Day 5/Monday Marginal Risk Excessive Rainfall Outlooks with embedded Slight Risk areas has been issued over the south- central U.S.. The system then shears with organized but moderating precipitation for the east-central to eastern U.S. Monday-Tuesday. Periods of precipitation will also be possible in the Northeast and Northwest as a series of quick moving upper troughs/shortwaves sweep across the northern tier of the nation. Upper trough/surface system energy pressing inland will also spread some enhanced mountain snow chances over the Intermountain West/Rockies. Pre-frontal temperatures will linger much warmer than average for portions of the southern/Southeast this weekend to include a few record temperatures, including some overnight minimum temperatures 10-20+ degrees warmer than normal. The north-central U.S. can also expect above average temperatures, especially this weekend into Monday. Meanwhile, California and the West/Southwest will see below average highs 5-10+ degrees below normal with closed low passage. Oudit/Schichtel 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 (QPF), excessive rainfall outlook (ERO), winter weather outlook (WWO) probabilities, heat indices, and Key Messages can be accessed from: 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 $$