364
FXUS01 KWBC 102039
PMDSPD
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD
438 PM EDT FRI OCT 10 2008
VALID 00Z SAT OCT 11 2008 - 12Z SUN OCT 12 2008
ALL EYES REMAIN ON THE WESTERN HALF OF THE UNITED STATES AS A VERY
POWERFUL UPPER-LEVEL LOW WILL CONTINUE SPINNING OVER THE REGION
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. NUMEROUS DISTURBANCES WILL SWIRL
COUNTERCLOCKWISE OVER THE REGION ALLOWING A FOCUS FOR CONTINUED
WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION ACROSS A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE WEST.
THIS EARLY FALL WEATHER SYSTEM WILL KEEP COLD AIR OVER THE REGION
ALLOWING MUCH OF THE PRECIPITATION TO FALL IN THE FORM OF LIGHT TO
MODERATE SNOW. INITIALLY...THE HIGHEST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE
ACROSS NORTHERN WYOMING AND SOUTHERN MONTANA. BY SUNDAY...AS THE
CLOSED LOW BEGINS TO MOVE TOWARD THE NORTH AND EAST...MODERATE
SNOWS WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD INTO THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS AND
STRETCHING INTO PORTIONS OF THE UPPER MISSOURI VALLEY. THE
MAGNITUDE OF THIS WINTER LIKE SYSTEM HAS BEEN GREAT ENOUGH TO
WARRANT NUMEROUS WINTER STORM WATCHES...WINTER STORM
WARNINGS...AND BLIZZARD WATCHES TO BE ISSUED. IN ADDITION TO THE
SNOW THREAT...COLD TEMPERATURES WILL BE ANOTHER MAJOR WEATHER
STORY AS HIGHS OVER THE WEEKEND ACROSS THE UPPER INTERMOUNTAIN
WEST AND NORTHERN ROCKIES WILL BE CONSTRAINED TO THE 30S WITH LOWS
OVERNIGHT APPROACHING THE TEENS IN ISOLATED AREAS.
BESIDES OF ALL THE SNOW FALLING...RAIN WILL ALSO BE AN ISSUE
ACROSS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST ALONG WITH MUCH OF THE PLAINS.
BEGINNING WITH THE SOUTHWEST...MOISTURE STREAMING NORTHWARD FROM
HURRICANE NORBERT WILL MOVE INTO EASTERN ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO
TONIGHT HELPING SPAWN NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS
THE REGION. ADDITIONALLY...TEMPERATURES WILL BE MUCH COOLER THAN
AVERAGE AS THE COMBINATION OF CLOUD COVER FROM THE SHOWER ACTIVITY
ALONG WITH THE COLD AIR MASS SETTLING IN OVER THE WEST WILL KEEP
TEMPERATURES DOWN IN THE LOW TO MID 70S BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
LOOKING FARTHER TO THE EAST...A SOUTHERLY SURGE OF MOISTURE FROM
THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL HELP INCREASE THE COVERAGE OF RAINFALL AS
THE WESTERN SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE PLAINS BY SUNDAY MORNING. THE
HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS EXPECTED IN AN AREA STRETCHING FROM THE
CENTRAL PLAINS NORTHWARD INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND UPPER
MIDWEST.
ELSEWHERE...A LINGERING CUT-OFF LOW WILL KEEP CONDITIONS UNSETTLED
ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. WHILE THE
ACTIVITY WILL BE SCATTERED IN NATURE...A BULK OF THE SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN CLOSE TO THE CAROLINA COAST IN CLOSE
PROXIMITY TO THE DISTURBANCE OFFSHORE. FARTHER TO THE NORTH...A
LARGE UPPER RIDGE WILL BUILD OVER MUCH OF THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE
NATION. THIS WILL BRING ANOMALOUS WARMTH AND ABUNDANT SUNSHINE TO
THE REGION THROUGHOUT THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. HIGHS IN THE 70S WITH
BE COMMONPLACE WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF 80 DEGREE AND ABOVE READINGS
EXPECTED OVER AN AREA STRETCHING FROM THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI
VALLEY NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE UPPER GREAT LAKES AND INTO THE
OHIO VALLEY.
RUBIN-OSTER
GRAPHICS AVAILABLE AT WWW.HPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV
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