956
FXUS01 KWBC 290758
PMDSPD
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
257 AM EST FRI DEC 29 2023
VALID 12Z FRI DEC 29 2023 - 12Z SUN DEC 31 2023
...PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM BRINGS LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN TO CALIFORNIA
FRIDAY; MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW FORECAST FOR THE SIERRAS SATURDAY...
...WINTRY MIX EXPECTED FOR THE INTERIOR NORTHEAST/NEW ENGLAND,
WITH SOME ACCUMULATING ICE AND SNOW IN MAINE...
...ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FORECAST FOR MOST OF THE COUNTRY
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY; COOLER TEMPERATURES AND CHILLY MORNING LOWS
FOR THE SOUTHEAST...
A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE WEST COAST FRIDAY
MORNING, BRINGING INCREASING PRECIPITATION CHANCES TO CALIFORNIA
AND THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS
LIKELY FOR MUCH OF CALIFORNIA FRIDAY, FOCUSING ALONG THE NORTHERN
AND CENTRAL COAST AND ALONG THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE COASTAL
RANGES. SNOW LEVELS WILL START RATHER HIGH AS A PLUME OF WARM,
MOIST AIR MOVES IN FROM THE PACIFIC, KEEPING SNOWFALL LIMITED TO
HIGHER MOUNTAIN PEAKS. AREAL AVERAGE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1-3" MAY
LEAD TO SOME ISOLATED FLOODING CONCERNS. SOME GUSTY WINDS ARE ALSO
EXPECTED. PRECIPITATION TOTALS WILL COME DOWN SOME SATURDAY AS THE
SYSTEM WEAKENS, BUT SPREAD A BIT FURTHER INLAND, WITH A LIGHT
WINTRY MIX FOR WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE GREAT BASIN. ALSO, AS SNOW
LEVELS COME DOWN WITH COOLER AIR MOVING IN, SOME HEAVIER SNOWFALL
TOTALS BETWEEN 8-12" WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR THE SIERRA, LOCALLY AS
HIGH AS 1-2 FEET. MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD COME TO AN END
BY LATER SATURDAY NIGHT, EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.
TO THE EAST, A FRONTAL SYSTEM DROPPING SOUTHWARD FROM CANADA INTO
THE INTERIOR NORTHEAST/NEW ENGLAND WILL BRING A WINTRY MIX FRIDAY,
STARTING OUT AS RAIN FOR MANY LOCATIONS BEFORE TRANSITIONING TO
SNOW BY FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. ANY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD
REMAIN LIMITED. HOWEVER, ONE EXCEPTION WILL BE IN INTERIOR MAINE
WHERE FREEZING RAIN ACCRETIONS OF 0.1-0.2" AND SNOWFALL OF 1-2"
MAY BE A BIT MORE DISRUPTIVE TO ANY TRAVEL THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND. A
VERY LIGHT WINTRY MIX WILL ALSO LIKELY CONTINUE TO LINGER FRIDAY
FURTHER SOUTH AND WEST INTO THE OHIO, TENNESSEE, AND MIDDLE
MISSISSIPPI VALLEYS AS WELL AS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
APPALACHIANS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A DEEP UPPER LOW. SOME LIGHT,
SPOTTY SHOWERS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN THE MID-ATLANTIC AND
NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH COASTAL NEW ENGLAND. PRECIPITATION CHANCES
SATURDAY SHOULD REMAIN LIGHT AND BE LIMITED TO THE APPALACHIANS
AND NEW ENGLAND. ELSEWHERE, A CLIPPER SYSTEM PASSING THROUGH THE
UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES SATURDAY MAY BRING A FEW LIGHT SNOW
SHOWERS. THE REST OF THE COUNTRY LOOKS TO REMAIN DRY.
MOST OF THE COUNTRY WILL SEE HIGH TEMPERATURES RUNNING ABOVE
AVERAGE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. CONDITIONS WILL BE MOST ANOMALOUS
FRIDAY FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES
WHERE HIGHS IN THE 30S AND 40S ARE 15-20 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE.
TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE 20S AND 30S SATURDAY. ELSEWHERE,
FORECAST HIGHS RANGE FROM THE 30S AND 40S IN NEW ENGLAND, THE 40S
AND 50S FOR THE MID-ATLANTIC, THE 40S AND 50S FOR THE CENTRAL
PLAINS, AND THE 50S AND 60S FOR THE SOUTHERN PLAINS/TEXAS. IN THE
WEST, 30S AND 40S ARE EXPECTED FOR THE ROCKIES/GREAT BASIN, WITH
50S AND 60S FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND CALIFORNIA AND SOME 70S
INTO THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. ONE AREA WHERE TEMPERATURES WILL BE
RUNNING BELOW AVERAGE IS FROM THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY INTO
THE SOUTHEAST, AS CONDITIONS WILL BE SLOWER TO MODERATE FOLLOWING
A COLD FRONT PASSAGE AND A DEEP UPPER LOW PASSES OVERHEAD.
FORECAST HIGHS ARE MAINLY IN THE 40S AND 50S, WITH SOME CHILLY
MORNING LOWS DROPPING TO AT/NEAR FREEZING ALONG THE
CENTRAL/NORTHERN GULF COAST.
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