679
FXUS01 KWBC 041921
PMDSPD

Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
221 PM EST Sun Jan 04 2026

Valid 00Z Mon Jan 05 2026 - 00Z Wed Jan 07 2026

...There is a Slight Risk of excessive rainfall over parts of
California...

...Heavy snow over parts of the Great Lakes, Sierra Nevada
Mountains, Northern Intermountain Region, and Northern Rockies...

...0.10 inches of freezing rain possible over the Upper
Mississippi Valley...

Low pressure over the Upper Mississippi Valley will move to the
Great Lakes by Monday, while a persistent upper-level trough
remains over the West Coast. The system over the Upper Mississippi
Valley will trigger heavy snow over the Upper Great Lakes Sunday
evening into Monday. Additionally, light to moderate snow will
develop over the Lower Great Lakes from Sunday night into Monday.

On Monday, a developing area of low pressure over the Southern
High Plains will move to the Great Lakes by Tuesday evening.  As
the low moves into the Upper Midwest, an area of rain/freezing
rain will develop over parts of the Upper Mississippi Valley and
the Great Lakes that will produce 0.10 plus inches of ice,
freezing rain, over the Upper Mississippi Valley. Furthermore,
light snow will also develop over parts of the Upper Great Lakes
into the Northeast Monday night into Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a broad plume of moisture will continue over the West
Coast, with rain developing over California/ the Pacific Northwest
and the Great Basin. A stream of moisture-laden air will produce
heavy rain over Northern/Central California on Sunday. Therefore,
the WPC has issued a Slight Risk (level 2/4) of excessive rainfall
over parts of Northern/Central California through Monday morning.
The associated heavy rain will create mainly localized areas of
flash flooding, with urban areas, roads, small streams, and burn
scars being the most vulnerable.

Furthermore, rain and higher-elevation snow will develop over
parts of the Northwest Sunday into Tuesday morning. In addition,
heavy snow will fall over the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the
Northern Cascades. The precipitation will begin to wane over
Southern California on Monday afternoon and over the Pacific
Northwest overnight Monday. However, rain and high-elevation snow
will increase Tuesday afternoon into the evening across the
Northwest.

Ziegenfelder

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

$$