515  
FXUS01 KWBC 190747  
PMDSPD  
 
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
346 AM EDT WED MAR 19 2025  
 
VALID 12Z WED MAR 19 2025 - 12Z FRI MAR 21 2025  
 
...HEAVY SNOW/BLIZZARD CONDITIONS OVER CENTRAL PLAINS TO THE UPPER  
GREAT LAKES ON WEDNESDAY; LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW OVER THE CASCADES  
ON THURSDAY...  
 
...THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK (LEVEL 3/5) OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS  
OVER PARTS OF THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI/OHIO VALLEYS AND UPPER GREAT  
LAKES ON WEDNESDAY...  
 
...THERE IS A CRITICAL RISK OF FIRE WEATHER OVER THE PARTS OF THE  
SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...  
 
ON WEDNESDAY, A DEEP AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE CENTRAL  
PLAINS/MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL MOVE NORTHEASTWARD TO  
MICHIGAN AND INTO SOUTHEASTERN CANADA BY THURSDAY. A SECONDARY LOW  
WILL DEVELOP OVER SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND BY FRIDAY. THE DEEP AREA OF  
LOW PRESSURE WILL SPREAD HEAVY SNOW ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND  
THEN PIVOT THROUGH THE UPPER MIDWEST AND UPPER GREAT LAKES THROUGH  
THURSDAY MORNING. SNOWFALL RATES UP TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR WILL  
LIKELY COMBINE WITH WIND GUSTS OVER 50 MPH TO PRODUCE BLIZZARD  
CONDITIONS. THE GREATEST RISK FOR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL BE FROM  
NORTHERN KANSAS THROUGH SOUTHERN MINNESOTA.  
 
FURTHERMORE, THE STORM WILL PRODUCE HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS FROM  
NORTHERN KANSAS THROUGH THE UPPER PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN. ALTHOUGH  
UNCERTAINTY REMAINS IN THE PLACEMENT OF THE HEAVIEST SNOW, THE  
CHANCE FOR GREATER THAN 6 INCHES OF SNOW IS INCREASINGLY LIKELY  
OVER A PORTION OF THE CENTRAL PLAINS THROUGH THE MIDWEST AND THE  
WESTERN UPPER PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN.  
 
MOREOVER, THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY FALLING SNOW AND STRONG WINDS  
WILL CREATE SNOW-COVERED ROADS AND NEAR-ZERO VISIBILITY AT TIMES.  
THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS TO NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. AVOID  
TRAVEL IF POSSIBLE, AND HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU IF YOU  
MUST TRAVEL.  
 
THE HEAVY SNOW AND BLIZZARD THREAT ENDS ON THURSDAY AS LIGHT SNOW  
DEVELOPS OVER PARTS OF MICHIGAN AND THE LOWER GREAT  
LAKES/NORTHEAST. FURTHER, AN AREA OF UPSLOPE FLOW WILL PRODUCE  
LIGHT SNOW OVER PARTS OF THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS.  
 
IN ADDITION, ON WEDNESDAY, SHOWERS AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL  
DEVELOP FROM PARTS OF THE MIDWEST TO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY,  
WHICH HAS THE MOST DANGEROUS CONDITIONS IN THE MIDWEST. THEREFORE,  
THE SPC HAS ISSUED AN ENHANCED RISK (LEVEL 3/5) OF SEVERE  
THUNDERSTORMS OVER PARTS OF THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI/OHIO VALLEYS  
AND UPPER GREAT LAKES THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. THE HAZARDS  
ASSOCIATED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE FREQUENT LIGHTNING, SEVERE  
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS, HAIL, AND MULTIPLE TORNADOES. THERE IS AN  
ADDED THREAT OF EF 2 TO EF 5 TORNADOES OVER THE AREA.  
 
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT ENDS BY THURSDAY. ON THURSDAY, RAIN  
WILL DEVELOP OVER PARTS OF THE LOWER GREAT LAKES, NORTHEAST, AND  
TENNESSEE VALLEY. RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP  
OVER PARTS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC. RAIN WILL ALSO DEVELOP OVER PARTS  
OF THE SOUTHEAST. FURTHERMORE, LIGHT SNOW AND RAIN WILL LINGER  
OVER PARTS OF THE NORTHEAST BY FRIDAY MORNING.  
 
MOREOVER, STRONG GUSTY WINDS, LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY, AND DRY FUELS  
PROMPTED THE SPC TO ISSUE A CRITICAL RISK OF FIRE WEATHER OVER  
PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY AND OVER  
NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO ON THURSDAY.  
 
MEANWHILE, A FRONT MOVING ONSHORE OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND  
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WILL CREATE COASTAL RAIN AND HIGHER-ELEVATION  
SNOW BY LATE AFTERNOON ON WEDNESDAY THAT WILL PERSIST INTO  
THURSDAY. SNOW WILL EXPAND INTO THE NORTHERN INTERMOUNTAIN REGION  
OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY AND CONTINUE INTO THURSDAY. THE ASSOCIATED  
UPPER-LEVEL ENERGY WILL CREATE LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW OVER THE  
CASCADES ON THURSDAY. MOREOVER, LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER PARTS  
OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND CENTRAL ROCKIES  
 
ZIEGENFELDER  
 
GRAPHICS AVAILABLE AT  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/BASICWX/BASICWX_NDFD.PHP  

 
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab HPC Page Main Text Page