333
FXUS01 KWBC 010834
PMDSPD
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
334 AM EST FRI MAR 01 2024
VALID 12Z FRI MAR 01 2024 - 12Z SUN MAR 03 2024
...WINTER STORM BRINGS HEAVY HIGHER ELEVATION MOUNTAIN SNOW,
WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS, AND COLD TEMPERATURES TO MUCH OF THE
WEST...
..POWERFUL BLIZZARD IN THE SIERRA NEVADA THROUGH THIS WEEKEND
...WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE
SOUTHEAST AND MID-ATLANTIC FRIDAY...
...MUCH ABOVE AVERAGE, SPRING-LIKE TEMPERATURES FOR THE PLAINS AND
MIDWEST ONCE AGAIN HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND; CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
THREAT FOR THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS SATURDAY...
A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT MUCH OF THE WEST HEADING
INTO THE WEEKEND, INCLUDING DANGEROUS, BLIZZARD CONDITIONS FOR THE
SIERRA NEVADA. AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE NORTHEASTERN PACIFIC
DIGGING SLOWLY SOUTHWARD AND INLAND OVER THE WEST COAST WILL ALLOW
FOR A MULTI-DAY INFLUX OF MOISTURE FROM THE PACIFIC/ATMOSPHERIC
RIVER AS COLDER AIR SPREADS SOUTHWARD. THIS WILL BRING HEAVY
SNOWFALL TO MANY OF THE HIGHER ELEVATION MOUNTAIN RANGES ACROSS
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, NORTHERN/CENTRAL CALIFORNIA, THE
NORTHERN/CENTRAL ROCKIES, AND GREAT BASIN, FOLLOWING A GENERAL
SOUTHWARD TREND EACH DAY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. SNOW TOTALS LOCALLY
AS MUCH AS 12"+ ARE FORECAST THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. IN ADDITION,
WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WIND GUSTS OF 55+ MPH ARE FORECAST ACROSS MUCH
OF THE REGION, WITH EVEN STRONGER GUSTS OF 75+ MPH FOR HIGHER
ELEVATIONS, LEADING TO THE RISK OF DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES.
THE MOST INTENSE COMBINATION OF SNOW AND WIND WILL COME TOGETHER
OVER THE SIERRA NEVADA, WHERE A POWERFUL BLIZZARD IS EXPECTED.
EXTREME SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 5-12 FEET (LOCALLY EVEN HIGHER) ARE
FORECAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND, WITH HIGH SNOW RATES AND WINDS
LEADING TO BLOWING/DRIFTING SNOW AND WHITEOUT CONDITIONS, MAKING
TRAVEL IMPOSSIBLE. FOR LOWER ELEVATIONS, THE SYSTEM WILL BRING
MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL TO COASTAL LOCATIONS, WITH A MIX OF
LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN/SNOW FOR INTERIOR LOCATIONS, THOUGH ANY
ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD REMAIN LIMITED. SOME LIGHT SNOW MAY SPREAD
INTO PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS SATURDAY AS THE SYSTEM
CONTINUES EAST. THE WEATHER SYSTEM WILL ALSO USHER IN COOLER,
BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES, WITH HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE 30S AND
40S FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NORTHERN
ROCKIES, AND GREAT BASIN, WITH 50S IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AND 60S
INTO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
TO THE EAST, LIFT AHEAD OF A SHORTWAVE MOVING EASTWARD FROM THE
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TOWARDS THE EAST COAST AS WELL AS GULF MOISTURE
FLOWING NORTHWARD OVER A QUASI-STATIONARY BOUNDARY DRAPED ALONG
THE GULF COAST WILL BRING WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST FRIDAY. SOME LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS
ARE POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY IN VICINITY OF THE BOUNDARY ALONG THE
CENTRAL GULF COAST AND ALONG THE CAROLINA COAST. THE BOUNDARY IS
FORECAST TO LIFT NORTHWARD ALONG THE EAST COAST AS THE UPPER-LEVEL
SHORTWAVE APPROACHES, SPREADING RAIN CHANCES INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC
OVERNIGHT FRIDAY AND NEW ENGLAND DURING THE DAY SATURDAY, WITH
SOME LOCALLY HEAVY SHOWERS MOST LIKELY ONCE AGAIN FOR COASTAL
LOCATIONS IN VICINITY OF THE BOUNDARY. SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL
ALSO LINGER ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE COASTAL SOUTHEAST INTO NORTH
FLORIDA AND THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE.
MUCH ABOVE AVERAGE, SPRING-LIKE HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE ONCE AGAIN
EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE PLAINS AND MIDWEST HEADING INTO THE
WEEKEND. THE GREATEST ANOMALIES ARE FORECAST FOR THE NORTHERN
PLAINS FRIDAY AND THE CENTRAL PLAINS INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI
VALLEY SATURDAY WHERE HIGHS WILL BE UPWARDS OF 25-35 DEGREES ABOVE
NORMAL, REACHING INTO THE 60S AND 70S. ELSEWHERE, HIGHS WILL BE IN
THE 40S AND 50S IN THE GREAT LAKES. HIGHS SATURDAY WILL WARM INTO
THE 60S AND 70S FOR THE MIDDLE/LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY, WITH 80S
RETURNING TO TEXAS. THE WARM TEMPERATURES AS WELL AS DRY
CONDITIONS AND SOME GUSTIER WINDS ALONG THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN HIGH
PLAINS WILL BRING THE RISK FOR WILDFIRES THIS WEEKEND, WITH THE
STORM PREDICTION CENTER INTRODUCING A CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
OUTLOOK (LEVEL 2/3) FOR SATURDAY. AFTER A CHILLY DAY FRIDAY IN THE
SOUTHEAST, WITH HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE 40S AND 50S, TEMPERATURES
WILL QUICKLY WARM BACK UP TO AVERAGE TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE
LEVELS SATURDAY, WITH HIGHS IN THE 60S AND LOW 70S. TEMPERATURES
WILL ALSO REBOUND FOR MUCH OF NEW ENGLAND, WARMING FROM THE 20S
AND 30S FRIDAY INTO THE 40S SATURDAY. CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN NEAR
TO ABOVE AVERAGE IN THE MID-ATLANTIC, WITH 40S AND 50S EXPECTED.
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