806  
FXUS02 KWBC 191900  
PMDEPD  
 
EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
159 PM EST SAT NOV 19 2022  
 
VALID 12Z TUE NOV 22 2022 - 12Z SAT NOV 26 2022  
 
...A COUPLE OF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS INCLUDING A POSSIBLE  
NOR'EASTER COULD CAUSE MEANINGFUL PRECIPITATION ACROSS EASTERN  
PARTS OF THE U.S. LATE NEXT WEEK...  
 
   
..OVERVIEW
 
 
A QUASI-ZONAL UPPER PATTERN WITH EMBEDDED SHORTWAVES SHOULD BE IN  
PLACE AS THE MEDIUM RANGE PERIOD BEGINS TUESDAY WITH REASONABLY  
QUIET WEATHER IN PLACE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, SAVE FOR THE  
POSSIBILITY OF HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA IN  
EASTERLY FLOW JUST BEHIND A SURFACE LOW AND FRONTAL BOUNDARY AS  
WELL AS A ROUND OF PRECIPITATION IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. BY  
MID-LATE WEEK THE GUIDANCE HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY ADVERTISING A  
RAPID AMPLIFICATION OF THE EASTERN PACIFIC/CONTIGUOUS U.S. FLOW,  
WITH AN EASTERN PACIFIC TROUGH AND BUILDING WESTERN U.S. RIDGE  
LEADING TO A TROUGH DIGGING INTO THE CENTRAL U.S. BY  
THURSDAY/THANKSGIVING DAY. THERE IS STILL A FAIR DEGREE OF  
UNCERTAINTY OVER WHAT BECOMES OF THIS TROUGH BY FRIDAY AND BEYOND.  
THE MAJORITY SCENARIO THUS FAR WOULD HAVE THE OVERALL UPPER TROUGH  
CONTINUE EASTWARD AND SUPPORT A CENTRAL U.S. LOW PRESSURE/FRONTAL  
SYSTEM CROSSING THE GREAT LAKES WHILE A WESTERN ATLANTIC LOW  
PRESSURE SYSTEM LIFTS NORTH (WITH SOME INTERACTION POSSIBLE NEAR  
NEW ENGLAND). THESE FEATURES WOULD SUPPORT INCREASING CHANCES FOR  
PRECIPITATION LATE NEXT WEEK, BUT CONTINUED SIGNIFICANT GUIDANCE  
SPREAD IN THE EXACT LOW TRACKS LEADS TO LOW CONFIDENCE FOR  
PRECIPITATION TYPES AND INTENSITY ACROSS THE EAST. TOWARD THE END  
OF THE WEEK ISSUES ALSO DEVELOP WITH THE EASTERN PACIFIC UPPER  
TROUGH, LEADING TO UNCERTAINTY IN FLOW DETAILS ACROSS THE  
NORTHWEST U.S. AND PERHAPS EVEN A ROLE IN THE FORECAST FARTHER  
EAST.  
 
   
..GUIDANCE AND PREDICTABILITY ASSESSMENT
 
 
LATEST GUIDANCE HAS GENERALLY SETTLED INTO BETTER AGREEMENT  
(VERSUS A COUPLE DAYS AGO) FOR THE ULTIMATE EVOLUTION OF THE UPPER  
TROUGH REACHING THE CENTRAL U.S. BY THURSDAY AND LIKELY CONTINUING  
INTO THE EAST THEREAFTER. HOWEVER THE PERSISTENCE OF A STRAY  
INDIVIDUAL SOLUTION OR TWO EACH RUN CONTINUES TO SUGGEST A  
LINGERING RISK THAT GUIDANCE COULD EVENTUALLY GRAVITATE TO AN  
EVOLUTION SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM CONSENSUS. THE MAJORITY  
SCENARIO (WHICH INCLUDES THE GEFS/ECENS/CMCENS MEANS, LATEST  
ECMWF/CMC RUNS, AND 00Z/06Z GFS) HAS THE UPPER TROUGH REMAINING  
FAIRLY PHASED WITH A POSSIBLE EMBEDDED UPPER LOW CENTER TRACKING  
OVER THE GREAT LAKES/OHIO VALLEY AROUND FRIDAY AND CONTINUING  
NORTHEAST INTO SATURDAY. AT THE SAME TIME SURFACE LOW PRESSURE  
WOULD TRACK INTO THE GREAT LAKES THURSDAY-FRIDAY WHILE A SEPARATE  
SURFACE LOW DEVELOPS ALONG THE EAST COAST, WITH POSSIBLE  
CONSOLIDATION OF THESE CENTERS OVER OR NEAR NEW ENGLAND BY  
SATURDAY. JUST WITHIN THIS MAJORITY CLUSTER THERE IS A FAIRLY  
BROAD RANGE OF MODEL/ENSEMBLE POSSIBILITIES FOR STORM TRACK AND  
INTENSITY BY 6-7 DAYS OUT. MEANWHILE, A SMALL MINORITY STILL SHOWS  
THE POTENTIAL FOR AN UPPER LOW TO CLOSE OFF WELL IN THE  
SOUTHWESTERN PART OF THE UPPER TROUGH. THE 00Z UKMET DID THIS OVER  
THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES/HIGH PLAINS (SHIFTED A BIT EASTWARD IN THE  
NEW 12Z RUN), WHILE THE NEW 12Z GFS HAS SUDDENLY CHANGED TO A  
SOUTHERN PLAINS/LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY UPPER LOW BY  
FRIDAY-SATURDAY. SUCH AN EVOLUTION WOULD GREATLY SHIFT THE SURFACE  
PATTERN AND EMPHASIS FOR HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION OVER THE  
CENTRAL/EASTERN U.S. INDIVIDUAL ENSEMBLE MEMBERS GENERALLY REFLECT  
THE IDEAS OF OPERATIONAL SOLUTIONS AS A WHOLE, IN THAT MEMBERS  
SHOW THE GREATEST DENSITY CLOSER TO THE CONSENSUS IDEA AND A  
SMALLER NUMBER SUGGESTING OTHER ALTERNATIVES.  
 
THE OTHER MAJOR FORECAST ISSUE ARISING BY FRIDAY-SATURDAY INVOLVES  
FLOW WITHIN THE EASTERN PACIFIC TROUGH. THERE HAS BEEN SOME  
INCONSISTENCY IN GUIDANCE ALREADY AND CURRENT SOLUTIONS ARE SPLIT  
OVER WHETHER FLOW MAY SEPARATE, LEADING TO TWO GENERAL CLUSTERS--A  
PHASED TROUGH AND STRONG RIDGE EXTENDING INTO SOUTHWESTERN CANADA  
(ENSEMBLE MEANS, LATEST ECMWF/CMC RUNS, AND 00Z/06Z GFS) VERSUS  
SEPARATED TROUGH ENERGY THAT LEADS TO MORE PACIFIC FLOW DENTING  
THE WESTERN NORTH AMERICAN RIDGE (12Z GFS/UKMET). THE FACT THAT  
SOLUTION CLUSTERS FOR BOTH OF THE MAJOR FORECAST UNCERTAINTIES  
ROUGHLY COINCIDE SUGGESTS THE FARTHER WEST EVOLUTION COULD PLAY A  
ROLE IN DECIDING WHAT HAPPENS OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE U.S.  
INTERESTINGLY, THE NEW 12Z ECMWF SEPARATES FLOW WITHIN THE PACIFIC  
TROUGH BUT FOR A SHORTER TIME AND TO A LESSER EXTENT THAN THE  
MINORITY CLUSTER, WHILE MAINTAINING DECENT CONTINUITY FOR THE  
EASTERN U.S. EVOLUTION.  
 
THE UPDATED FORECAST BASED ON 00Z/06Z GUIDANCE SIDED WITH THE  
MAJORITY SCENARIO REPRESENTED BY THE ENSEMBLE MEANS ALONG WITH THE  
00Z/06Z GFS AND 00Z ECMWF/CMC. THE FIRST HALF OF THE PERIOD  
EMPLOYED THE OPERATIONAL MODELS EXCLUSIVELY TO DEPICT THE BEST  
DETAIL POSSIBLE WITHIN THAT CLUSTER, WHILE DAYS 6-7  
FRIDAY-SATURDAY TRANSITIONED TO SOME INPUT FROM THE 06Z GEFS/00Z  
ECMWF MEANS AS WELL AS WPC CONTINUITY. THIS APPROACH HELPED TO  
PROVIDE A FAIRLY STEADY SOLUTION WHILE AWAITING ANY POTENTIALLY  
SIGNIFICANT SHIFTS IN THE GUIDANCE.  
 
   
..WEATHER/HAZARD HIGHLIGHTS
 
 
EXPECT SOME RAIN AND HIGHER ELEVATION SNOW ACROSS THE PACIFIC  
NORTHWEST AND FARTHER EAST INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES ON  
TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY WITH A FRONTAL SYSTEM PASSING THROUGH. MODEL  
GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW A FAIRLY DRY PERIOD FOR THE NORTHWEST  
AND INTO THE ROCKIES LATER IN THE WEEK AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE  
AND UPPER RIDGING BUILD IN. SOME PACIFIC MOISTURE COULD START TO  
REACH THE COAST AGAIN AROUND SATURDAY. FARTHER SOUTH, SANTA ANA  
WINDS MAY BE A CONCERN ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOR AT LEAST A  
PORTION OF THE PERIOD. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE  
ACROSS FLORIDA AND INTO THE SOUTHEAST THROUGH TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY  
ALONG AND NORTH OF A WAVY FRONT THAT WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY A BAND  
OF ENHANCED MOISTURE. THE BEST DEFINED FRONTAL WAVE MAY TAKE SHAPE  
OFFSHORE THE SOUTHEAST ON WEDNESDAY. ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING COULD  
BE A CONCERN PARTICULARLY ACROSS URBAN AREAS.  
 
THEN AS THE UPPER TROUGH AMPLIFIES EAST OF THE ROCKIES BY  
THANKSGIVING DAY AND BEYOND, GULF MOISTURE SHOULD STREAM INTO THE  
EASTERN HALF OF THE U.S. AHEAD OF THE TROUGH. THE SOUTHEASTERN  
QUADRANT OF THE U.S. NORTHWARD INTO THE OHIO VALLEY AND GREAT  
LAKES MAY SEE SOME PRECIPITATION AROUND THANKSGIVING, WHILE  
HEAVIER PRECIPITATION LOOKS MORE LIKELY ACROSS THE NORTHEASTERN  
U.S. ON FRIDAY. CURRENT FORECASTS INDICATE THAT WINTRY  
PRECIPITATION IS A BETTER POSSIBILITY FOR THE INTERIOR NORTHEAST  
WHILE THE METROPOLITAN AREAS ALONG THE I-95 CORRIDOR ARE MORE  
LIKELY TO GET RAIN. BUT STAY TUNED TO FUTURE FORECASTS AS THESE  
UNCERTAIN DETAILS LIKE PRECIPITATION TYPES IN PARTICULAR AREAS  
COULD CHANGE AS MODEL GUIDANCE EVENTUALLY COMES INTO BETTER  
CONSENSUS WITH LOW TRACKS AND TEMPERATURES. DEPENDING ON THE  
STRENGTH OF ONE OR MORE LOW PRESSURE CENTERS, WINDS COULD BECOME  
BRISK TO STRONG FOR A TIME. ALSO NOTE THAT THERE IS A MINORITY  
POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT PRECIPITATION COVERAGE AND  
AMOUNTS, WHICH COULD INVOLVE MORE RAINFALL ACROSS THE SOUTHERN  
TIER AND LOWER TOTALS FARTHER NORTH.  
 
TEMPERATURES IN THE MEDIUM RANGE PERIOD SHOULD BE OVERALL MORE  
SEASONABLE COMPARED TO THOSE OF THIS PAST WEEK. COOLER THAN NORMAL  
TEMPERATURES COULD CONTINUE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TIER FOR TUESDAY,  
ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHERN TEXAS WHERE HIGHS COULD BE 10-20F BELOW  
NORMAL. TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY TO TREND ABOVE AVERAGE ALONG THE  
WEST COAST BY MIDWEEK WITH PLUS 5-15F ANOMALIES EXPANDING INTO THE  
ROCKIES AND CENTRAL U.S. LATER IN THE WEEK AS THE UPPER RIDGE  
BUILDS IN. CONVERSELY, POST-FRONTAL COOLER TEMPERATURES ESPECIALLY  
IN TERMS OF HIGHS SHOULD EXTEND FROM THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TOWARD  
THE EAST COAST FRIDAY-SATURDAY AS THE UPPER TROUGH MOVES THROUGH.  
 
RAUSCH/TATE  
 
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, EXPERIMENTAL EXCESSIVE RAINFALL  
OUTLOOK, WINTER WEATHER OUTLOOK PROBABILITIES AND HEAT INDICES ARE  
AT:  
 
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  
 

 
 

 
 
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