457  
FXUS02 KWBC 170625  
PMDEPD  
 
EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
225 AM EDT FRI MAY 17 2024  
 
VALID 12Z MON MAY 20 2024 - 12Z FRI MAY 24 2024  
 
   
..OVERVIEW
 
 
AN UPPER TROUGH AND SURFACE LOW WILL BE EXITING THE EAST COAST BY  
THE START OF THE PERIOD, BUT MAY LINGER IN THE WESTERN ATLANTIC FOR  
A DAY OR TWO BEFORE GETTING PUSHED OUT TO SEA BY THE NEXT SYSTEM  
BEHIND IT. MEANWHILE, A SHORTWAVE WILL PUSH INTO THE NORTHERN  
PLAINS/UPPER MIDWEST EARLY IN THE WEEK ALONG WITH A MODEST SURFACE  
REFLECTION AND POTENTIAL FOR AT LEAST LOCALLY HEAVY CONVECTION  
ACROSS THE NORTH- CENTRAL U.S.. AN UPPER LOW IS FORECAST TO DROP  
INTO THE NORTHWEST BEHIND THIS SYSTEM AROUND MIDWEEK BRINGING  
ANOTHER COLD FRONT AND UNSETTLED WEATHER TO THE WEST.  
 
   
..GUIDANCE/PREDICTABILITY ASSESSMENT
 
 
RECENT MODEL GUIDANCE IS GENERALLY AGREEABLE WITH THE OVERALL  
PATTERN, BUT THERE ARE SOME NOTABLE DIFFERENCES IN THE DETAILS AND  
TIMING OF INDIVIDUAL SYSTEMS. THE LATEST CMC RUN CONTINUES TO BE AN  
OUTLIER SUGGESTING MORE ENERGY HANGING BACK OVER THE ROCKIES  
STARTING TUESDAY- WEDNESDAY AS THE FIRST SHORTWAVE MOVES INTO THE  
UPPER MIDWEST. THE CMC IS ALSO MUCH DIFFERENT LATE IN THE WEEK  
SHOWING WEAK TROUGHING, IF ANYTHING, ACROSS THE NORTHWEST, WHILE  
THE OTHER OPERATIONAL MODELS/ENSEMBLES SHOW FAIRLY GOOD CONSISTENCY  
FOR A FAIRLY DEEP UPPER LOW OVER THE NORTHWEST BY WEDNESDAY AND  
SLOWING EDGING EASTWARD WITH TIME. GIVEN THIS, THE WPC FORECAST  
BLEND FOR TONIGHT USED A NON-CMC CONSENSUS. INCREASED WEIGHTING OF  
THE ENSEMBLE MEANS LATER IN THE PERIOD AS TIMING AND DETAIL  
UNCERTAINTIES INCREASED FOR BOTH SYSTEMS, BUT DID MAINTAIN UP TO 50  
PERCENT OF THE DETERMINISTIC GFS/ECMWF EVEN LATE PERIOD JUST FOR  
SOME ADDED SYSTEM DEFINITION. OVERALL, THIS MAINTAINED GOOD  
AGREEMENT WITH THE PREVIOUS WPC FORECAST AS WELL.  
 
   
..WEATHER/HAZARDS HIGHLIGHTS
 
 
AN UPPER SHORTWAVE AND LEADING COLD FRONT PUSHING SLOWLY THROUGH  
THE PLAINS/UPPER MIDWEST EARLY IN THE WEEK WILL HELP FUEL SHOWERS  
AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE NORTH-CENTRAL PLAINS INTO THE GREAT  
LAKES, WITH POTENTIAL FOR AT LEAST LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL GIVEN  
AMPLE ANOMALOUS MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY PRESENT. BOTH THE DAYS 4  
AND 5 (MONDAY-TUESDAY) EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OUTLOOKS SHOW JUST BROAD  
MARGINAL RISKS ACROSS THIS AREA, AND IN SOME PLACES MAY BE  
DEPENDENT ON ACTIVITY TOWARDS THE END OF THE SHORT RANGE PERIOD AS  
WELL. FARTHER WEST INTO THE ROCKIES, SOME MODERATE SNOWFALL MAY  
FALL IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. AFTER TUESDAY, EXPECT NORTHEASTWARD  
PROGRESSION OF THE SURFACE LOW TO PUSH THE TRAILING COLD FRONT AND  
ACCOMPANY RAIN/STORMS FARTHER EAST AND SOUTH WITH SOME MORE  
UNCERTAIN POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINFALL IN THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN  
U.S. FOR WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY. APPROACH/ARRIVAL OF ANOTHER UPPER LOW  
AS CURRENTLY ADVERTISED BY MIDWEEK OR SO WOULD PRODUCE SOMEWHAT  
MORE ORGANIZED PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE NORTHWEST, AND POTENTIAL  
FOR HEAVY SNOW IN THE MOUNTAIN, AND SNOW LEVELS DEPENDENT ON THE  
DEPTH OF THE UPPER LOW.  
 
EXPECT SOUTH TEXAS TO SEE MULTIPLE DAYS OF HAZARDOUS HEAT DURING  
THE PERIOD WITH HIGHS PERSISTENTLY RUNNING 10-15F ABOVE NORMAL WITH  
MAX HEAT INDEX VALUES POSSIBLY REACHING AT LEAST 110F. HIGHS NEAR  
OR OVER 100 DEGREES COULD STRETCH FARTHER NORTH ACROSS THE SOUTHERN  
HIGH PLAINS AT TIMES AS WELL. SOME DAILY RECORDS FOR HIGHS/WARM  
LOWS WILL BE POSSIBLE. ABOVE NORMAL HIGHS WILL ALSO TRACK EAST  
ACROSS THE MIDWEST AND NORTHEAST MONDAY-WEDNESDAY BUT SHOULD  
MODERATE BY THURSDAY AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE REGION. THE  
FORECAST PATTERN WILL FAVOR BELOW AVERAGE HIGHS OVER THE NORTHWEST  
TO NORTHERN PLAINS FOR MOST OF NEXT WEEK.  
 
SANTORELLI  
 
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 FORECAST (QPF), EXCESSIVE RAINFALL  
OUTLOOK (ERO), WINTER WEATHER OUTLOOK (WWO) PROBABILITIES, HEAT  
INDICES, AND KEY MESSAGES CAN BE ACCESSED FROM:  
 
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  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/#PAGE=OVW  
 

 
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab HPC Page Main Text Page