770
FXUS01 KWBC 272010
PMDSPD

Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
309 PM EST Thu Nov 27 2025

Valid 00Z Fri Nov 28 2025 - 00Z Sun Nov 30 2025

...Heavy lake-effect snow will continue across the Great Lakes
region into early Saturday morning before then tapering off...

...A very wintry pattern will unfold across large sections of the
central and eastern U.S. into the weekend as cold high pressure
from Canada drops south through the Plains and Midwest from
Canada...

...The next major winter storm will affect the northern Plains and
the Midwest Friday into Saturday bringing with it heavy snow and
hazardous travel conditions...

A very winter like pattern has rapidly unfolded this Thanksgiving
Day across much of the country as multiple surges of cold high
pressure drop down from Canada and overspread large areas of the
Plains, Midwest and the East. A slowly departing winter storm over
the Great Lakes region coupled with cold air overrunning the
relatively warmer waters of the Great Lakes continues to focus
heavy lake-effect snowfall, and this is expected to continue
through Friday before gradually tapering off by early Saturday.
Additional accumulations of up to 1 to 2 feet can be expected,
with some of the heaviest totals over the next 24 to 36 hours
focusing across northern portions of the Lower Peninsula of
Michigan, and also areas of far northeast Ohio, northwest
Pennsylvania and western New York. Travel will be locally very
difficult due to heavy snowfall rates, gusty winds and poor
visibility. More broadly, below normal temperatures will be
expected going into the holiday weekend for much of the central
and eastern U.S., with some high temperatures as much as 10 to 20
degrees below normal.

Out West, a compact and well organized low pressure system will be
impacting portions of Washington and Oregon through tonight, but
will advance gradually inland across the Intermountain West and
northern Rockies on Friday. The moist onshore flow will facilitate
as much as 1 to 2 inches of rain for some of the coastal ranges,
but this moisture will translate into some locally heavy snow for
the higher terrain of the Cascades and especially the northern
Rockies as the moisture and energy with this system advances
inland. As much as 6 to 12 inches of snow is expected through
Friday night for the high terrain of Idaho and western Montana
including the Bitterroots.

This storm system and its moisture will then eject east out into
the northern Plains and then into the Midwest late Friday through
Saturday and will set the stage for the next major winter storm to
impact these areas. Low pressure developing the lee of the Rockies
will advance toward the middle Mississippi Valley by late Saturday
and should foster a widespread area of heavy snow from Montana
through portions of the Dakotas and especially the Midwest. As
much as 6 to 12 inches of snow is forecast with this next winter
storm, with many areas in Iowa and western Illinois by Saturday
evening expecting the heaviest amounts. Severe post-Thanksgiving
travel disruptions are expected with this next winter storm going
into the weekend, and therefore travelers should plan accordingly.

Orrison/Hamrick


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

$$