922  
FXUS21 KWNC 101813  
PMDTHR  
US HAZARDS ASSESSMENT  
NWS CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD  
300 PM EDT OCTOBER 10 2008  
 
SYNOPSIS: EARLY IN THE ASSESSMENT PERIOD A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTHWARD  
ACROSS NEW ENGLAND, ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY IS  
DOMINATED BY HIGH PRESSURE. LOW PRESSURE, PARTIALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE  
REMNANTS OF HURRICANE NORBERT, MOVES FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS TO THE LOWER  
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. A COLD FRONT EXTENDS SOUTHWESTWARD FROM AN AREA OF LOW  
PRESSURE OVER CENTRAL CANADA ACROSS THE UPPER AND MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TO  
THE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES MOST  
OF THE WESTERN CONUS ALTHOUGH A COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST  
TO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. A PROLONGED STORMY PERIOD OCCURS FOR SOUTHERN ALASKA  
AND THE ALASKAN PANHANDLE.  
THE LOW OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS MOVES TO THE GREAT LAKES AND THEN NEW ENGLAND  
AS ITS TRAILING COLD FRONT MOVES TO THE NORTHEAST STATES, MIDDLE ATLANTIC AND  
OHIO VALLEY. THE SECOND COLD FRONT OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS MOVES TO THE GREAT  
LAKES, MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY,CENTRAL PLAINS AND EXTENDS WESTWARD ACROSS THE  
CENTRAL ROCKIES TO THE CENTRAL GREAT BASIN. BY MID-PERIOD THE FRONT OVER THE  
GREAT LAKES AND CENTRAL CONUS MOVES TO NEW ENGLAND AND STRETCHES BACK WESTWARD  
ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY, MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. HIGH  
PRESSURE DOMINATES MOST OF THE REST OF THE CONUS ALTHOUGH ANOTHER COLD FRONT  
MOVES FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. FOR THE LONGER RANGES,  
A STORMY PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE GULF OF ALASKA WHILE THE  
CONUS IS MOSTLY DOMINATED BY A WEST TO EAST FLOW PATTERN.  
 
HAZARDS  
 
RIVER FLOODING FOR THE RED RIVER VALLEY OCT 13.  
HEAVY RAIN FOR THE UPPER AND MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN  
PLAINS OCT 13-14.  
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER FOR COASTAL CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DUE TO  
STRENGTHENING OFFSHORE WINDS OCT 13-14.  
ONGOING RIVER FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ACROSS PORTIONS OF TEXAS ON THE RIO GRANDE  
NEAR DEL RIO.  
FLOODING DUE TO RAINFALL FROM THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE NORBERT FOR  
SOUTHWESTERN TEXAS OCT 13.  
MUCH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES NEAR THE GREAT LAKES, OHIO VALLEY, MID-ATLANTIC  
AND NORTHEAST OCT 13-14.  
MUCH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR PARTS OF THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN, THE  
NORTHERN ROCKIES, AND NORTHERN PLAINS OCT 13.  
HEAVY COASTAL RAINS AND INLAND SNOW FOR SOUTHERN ALASKA AND THE ALASKAN  
PANHANDLE OCT 13-17.  
SEVERE DROUGHT WILL CONTINUE FOR PARTS OF THE WESTERN US, SOUTHEAST, NORTHERN  
PLAINS, SOUTHERN PLAINS AND UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WITH SOME RELIEF LIKELY  
OVER PARTS OF THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN PLAINS, AND THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI  
VALLEY.  
 
DETAILED SUMMARY  
 
FOR MONDAY OCTOBER 13 - WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 15: A WARM FRONT MOVES NORTHWARD  
ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES. THIS LEADS TO MUCH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE  
GREAT LAKES, OHIO VALLEY, MID-ATLANTIC AND NORTHEAST. THE WARM FRONT EXTENDS  
NORTHWESTWARD TO A LOW OVER CENTRAL CANADA.  
ANTECEDENT PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS AREA OF LOW PRESSURE CAUSES  
FLOODING OVER THE RED RIVER VALLEY. THE TRAILING COLD FRONT BEHIND THE LOW, IN  
COMBINATION WITH MOISTURE SPREADING NORTHWARD (IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE REMANTS  
OF HURRICANE NORBERT), BRINGS HEAVY PRECIPITATION TO THE UPPER AND MIDDLE  
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS. THIS MAY CAUSE FLOODING  
OVER SOUTHWEST TEXAS. THE RAINFALL ALSO OFFERS SOME RELIEF TO THE DROUGHT AREAS  
OF THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN PLAINS AND UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. NORTHERLY  
FLOW BEHIND THE COLD FRONT LEADS TO AN AREA OF MUCH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES  
FOR PARTS OF THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN, THE NORTHERN ROCKIES, AND NORTHERN  
PLAINS.  
HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES MUCH OF THE WESTERN CONUS AND WILL GENERATE OFFSHORE  
FLOW OVER CALIFORNIA. THIS LEADS TO THE THREAT OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER  
CONDITIONS OVER COASTAL CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. A STORMY PATTERN IS  
EXPECTED FOR SOUTHERN ALASKA LEADING TO COASTAL HEAVY RAIN AND INLAND HEAVY  
SNOW OVER SOUTHERN ALASKA AND THE ALASKAN PANHANDLE. RIVER FLOODING IS LIKELY  
ALONG PORTIONS OF THE RIO GRANDE NEAR DEL RIO AND JOHNSON RANCH DUE TO  
SURCHARGE RELEASES FROM LAKE AMISTAD. DROUGHT IS ONGOING OVER THE SOUTHEAST AND  
OVER CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA.  
 
 
 
FOR THURSDAY OCTOBER 16 - MONDAY OCTOBER 20: TWO COLD FRONTS SWEEP ACROSS THE  
NORTHEAST STATES BUT LIMITED MOISTURE IS AVAILABLE TO PRODUCE MUCH IN THE WAY  
OF PRECIPITATION. HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES MOST OF THE WESTERN CONUS WHILE A  
STORMY PATTERN CONTINUES OVER SOUTHERN ALASKA AND THE ALASKAN PANHANDLE.  
FIVE-DAY MEAN FORECASTS INDICATE A MOSTLY ZONAL FLOW PATTERN ACROSS THE CONUS.  
 
 
FOR TUESDAY OCTOBER 21 - FRIDAY OCTOBER 24: UPPER LEVEL TROUGHS ARE FORECAST  
OVER THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY AND THE GULF OF ALASKA WHILE A RIDGE  
IS PROGGED OVER THE WEST-CENTRAL CONUS. THE LACK OF PREDICTABILITY AT THIS TIME  
RANGE PRECLUDES THE FORECAST OF SPECIFIC HAZARDS.  
 
FORECASTER: RANDY SCHECHTER  
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab HPC Page Main Text Page