447
FXUS01 KWBC 170632
PMDSPD
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
129 AM EST WED DEC 17 2025
VALID 12Z WED DEC 17 2025 - 12Z FRI DEC 19 2025
...DANGEROUS WIND GUSTS AND HEAVY SNOW TO PRODUCE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL
AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPACTS FROM THE NORTHWEST TO NORTH-CENTRAL
U.S....
...HEAVY RAIN LIKELY OVER PORTIONS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
BEGINNING THURSDAY...
...ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ACROSS MOST OF THE COUNTRY TODAY
FOLLOWED BY A COOLING TREND FOR THE NORTHERN PLAINS/UPPER MIDWEST
ON THURSDAY...
A MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE FOLLOWED BY A LONGWAVE TROUGH WILL PRODUCE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER OF THE COUNTRY OVER THE
NEXT FEW DAYS. WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WIND GUSTS OF 50-70 MPH ARE
FORECAST ACROSS MUCH OF THE NORTHWEST, NORTHERN/CENTRAL ROCKIES
AND THE NORTHERN PLAINS THROUGH THURSDAY. HIGHER PEAKS OF THE
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ROCKIES AND THEIR EASTERN SLOPES COULD
EXPERIENCE POWERFUL WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 80 MPH. THESE WIND
GUSTS WILL RESULT IN NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES, SCATTERED TREE AND
ROOF DAMAGE, AND DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. POWERFUL WINDS
COMBINED WITH PERIODS OF SNOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS ARE
LIKELY TO PRODUCE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY. SNOW
SQUALLS TRAVERSING THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS COULD CAUSE RAPID
REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY TONIGHT. THIS WILL CAUSE EXTREMELY
HAZARDOUS TRAVEL.
ROUNDS OF HEAVY SNOW IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE CASCADES AND
NORTHERN ROCKIES ARE EXPECTED TODAY. SNOW LEVELS FALL TO AS LOW AS
3,000 FT. THURSDAY MORNING AS THE NEXT ROUND OF HEAVY SNOW
ARRIVES. ADDITIONAL POWER OUTAGES AND TREE DAMAGE ARE POSSIBLE
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY DUE TO A COMBINATION OF HEAVY, WET SNOW
CAUSING ADDED STRAIN ON TREES AND POWER LINES. RAIN AT THE SURFACE
AND LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST MOUNTAIN RANGES WILL
INTENSIFY OVER THE COMING DAYS AND EXACERBATE FLOODING OF RIVERS,
CREEKS AND STREAMS THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON, AT LEAST. FLOOD
WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT UNTIL THEN. SLIGHT RISKS (AT LEAST 15%
CHANCE) OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL LEADING TO FLASH FLOODING ARE IN
EFFECT FROM SOUTHWESTERN WASHINGTON DOWN THROUGH WESTERN OREGON
AND INTO NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA ON THURSDAY, FOLLOWED BY
SOUTHWESTERN OREGON INTO NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA ON FRIDAY ALONG A
SOUTH-MOVING COLD FRONT.
A STRONG RIDGE CENTERED OVER THE EAST PACIFIC WILL SUPPORT ABOVE
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ACROSS MUCH OF THE WEST OVER THE NEXT FEW
DAYS. THE SHORTWAVE RESPONSIBLE FOR TODAY'S DANGEROUS
PRECIPITATION AND WIND OVER THE NORTHWEST WILL AMPLIFY OVER THE
CENTRAL U.S. ON THURSDAY, LEADING TO A DRASTIC 24 HOUR DROP IN
TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THIS AMPLIFYING TROUGH
WILL ALSO GENERATE STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW INTO THE EASTERN U.S. BY
THURSDAY EVENING, WHEN CLOUDY WARM CONDITIONS COULD PRODUCE RECORD
HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURES FOR PARTS OF THE NORTHEAST AND
MID-ATLANTIC.
KEBEDE
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