797  
FXUS01 KWBC 020800  
PMDSPD  
 
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
300 AM EST FRI FEB 02 2024  
 
VALID 12Z FRI FEB 02 2024 - 12Z SUN FEB 04 2024  
 
...UNSETTLED WEATHER FOR THE WEST FRIDAY AS HEAVY SNOW CONTINUES  
FOR THE SIERRA AND SPREADS INTO THE GREAT BASIN AND ROCKIES...  
 
...WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS SHIFT FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS FRIDAY  
TO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY/GULF COAST ON SATURDAY...  
 
...MILD TEMPERATURES PERSIST ACROSS CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE  
COUNTRY THROUGH THIS WEEKEND...  
 
AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH AND ACCOMPANYING SURFACE FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL  
PUSH EASTWARD THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN AND ROCKIES FRIDAY,  
EXPANDING THE COVERAGE OF MOUNTAIN SNOW AND A RAIN/SNOW MIX FOR  
LOWER ELEVATION VALLEYS ACROSS THE WEST. A SECONDARY UPPER-LEVEL  
TROUGH/AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WILL ALSO  
KEEP WEATHER UNSETTLED ALONG THE WEST COAST. HEAVY HIGHER  
ELEVATION SNOW IS EXPECTED FOR MANY OF THE LOCAL MOUNTAIN RANGES  
ACROSS THE WEST INCLUDING IN CALIFORNIA, THE GREAT BASIN, AND THE  
ROCKIES, WHICH WILL LIKELY SEE AT LEAST A FOOT OF NEW SNOW THROUGH  
SUNDAY MORNING. PRECIPITATION WILL BE MUCH LIGHTER FOR MOST LOWER  
ELEVATIONS, AND ANY SNOW THAT MIXES IN SHOULD LEAD TO LITTLE TO NO  
ACCUMULATIONS. SOME HEAVIER SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE  
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA/SOUTHERN OREGON COAST WHERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE  
EXPECTED. PRECIPITATION CHANCES SHOULD COME DOWN FOR A PERIOD  
THROUGH THE DAY SATURDAY FOR CALIFORNIA AND THE GREAT BASIN AS THE  
SYSTEM MOVES FURTHER TO THE EAST WHILE HEAVY SNOW CONTINUES IN THE  
NORTHERN/CENTRAL ROCKIES. HOWEVER, THE FIRST WAVE OF HEAVY  
PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH ANOTHER ATMOSPHERIC RIVER MAY BEGIN  
TO IMPACT PORTIONS OF CALIFORNIA AS EARLY AS SATURDAY NIGHT, AND  
LIKELY BY SUNDAY MORNING.  
 
GULF MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO FLOW NORTHWARD OVER THE SOUTHERN  
PLAINS IN ADVANCE OF THE APPROACHING UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH/SURFACE  
FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE WEST FRIDAY, WITH ISOLATED  
SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE DAY BECOMING MORE WIDESPREAD  
BY FRIDAY NIGHT. SOME SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FOR  
CENTRAL TEXAS AS COOLING TEMPERATURES ALOFT WITH THE APPROACHING  
TROUGH SHOULD LEAD TO SUFFICIENT CAPE, ALONG WITH EXPECTED STRONG  
WINDSHEAR, FOR SOME MORE ROBUST UPDRAFTS. THE STORM PREDICTION  
CENTER HAS ISSUED A SLIGHT RISK (LEVEL 2/5) OF SEVERE  
THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY FOR THE THREAT OF LARGE HAIL. AN INCREASINGLY  
MOIST BOUNDARY LAYER AS WELL AS THE EXPECTATION FOR AN ORGANIZED  
LINE OF STORMS TO PUSH EASTWARD MAY ALSO LEAD TO INCREASED  
COVERAGE OF SOME HEAVIER DOWNPOURS AND AN ISOLATED RISK OF FLASH  
FLOODING. STORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE EASTWARD INTO THE LOWER  
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ON SATURDAY WHERE A DEVELOPING COASTAL LOW MAY  
HELP TO LOCALLY ENHANCE STORM COVERAGE/INTENSITY, LEADING TO A BIT  
HIGHER THREAT OF HEAVIER RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING, WITH A SLIGHT  
RISK OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL (LEVEL 2/4) IN EFFECT. THE PROGRESSIVE  
NATURE OF THE SYSTEM WILL BRING CLEARING CONDITIONS THROUGH THE  
REGION LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AS STORM CHANCES INCREASE ACROSS THE  
SOUTHEAST AND FLORIDA.  
 
AN AMPLIFIED UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE CENTRAL/EASTERN U.S. WILL  
KEEP HIGH TEMPERATURES MILD AND WELL ABOVE AVERAGE FRIDAY AND  
SATURDAY, PARTICULARLY FOR PORTIONS OF THE PLAINS AND THE MIDWEST.  
FORECAST HIGHS RANGE FROM THE 30S AND 40S FOR THE NORTHEAST AND  
THE GREAT LAKES, THE 40S AND 50S FOR THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND THE  
OHIO VALLEY, THE 50S AND 60S FOR THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND CAROLINAS,  
AND THE 60S AND 70S FOR THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND SOUTHEAST. HIGHS  
WILL REMAIN COOLER THAN AVERAGE TO THE WEST UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF  
THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH, WITH HIGHS MAINLY IN THE 40S FOR THE GREAT  
BASIN, 50S FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND  
60S FOR THE DESERT SOUTHWEST AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.  
 
PUTNAM  
 
GRAPHICS AVAILABLE AT  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/BASICWX/BASICWX_NDFD.PHP  
 
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