361
FXUS01 KWBC 172001
PMDSPD
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
300 PM EST WED DEC 17 2025
VALID 00Z THU DEC 18 2025 - 00Z SAT DEC 20 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 WHILE HEAVY SNOW CONTINUES FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN ROCKIES...
...ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ACROSS MOST OF THE COUNTRY TO END
THE WEEK WITH NUMEROUS POSSIBLE RECORD-TYING/BREAKING HIGHS IN THE
WESTERN U.S. AS WELL AS NEW ENGLAND...
A QUICK MOVING UPPER-TROUGH ACCOMPANIED BY A DEEP SURFACE LOW
PRESSURE/FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL BRING HEAVY SNOW TO THE MOUNTAINS AS
WELL AS WIDESPREAD SIGNIFICANT WINDS AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS FROM
THE INTERIOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST/GREAT BASIN EAST THROUGH THE
NORTH/CENTRAL ROCKIES AND INTO THE NORTHERN/CENTRAL PLAINS THROUGH
THURSDAY. DANGEROUS AND DESTRUCTIVE WINDS AS HIGH AS 50-70 MPH ARE
EXPECTED, WITH GUSTS EXCEEDING 80 MPH DOWNWIND OF HIGH ELEVATION
AREAS. EXPECT NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES, PROPERTY DAMAGE, AND
DANGEROUS TRAVEL FOR HIGH-PROFILE VEHICLES. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE
ACCUMULATIONS WILL GENERALLY REMAIN LIGHT TO MODERATE, THE HIGH
WINDS AND COLD FRONT PASSAGE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS WILL BRING
THE THREAT OF SNOW SQUALLS AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. HEAVY MOUNTAIN
SNOW WILL ALSO CONTINUE FOR THE CASCADES AND NORTHERN ROCKIES,
WITH TOTALS AS MUCH AS 1-3 FEET POSSIBLE. POWER OUTAGES AND TREE
DAMAGE ARE POSSIBLE DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY WET SNOW AND
WIND ON TREES AND POWER LINES.
MOIST GULF RETURN FLOW AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM AS IT CONTINUES EAST
WILL BRING INCREASINGLY WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FIRST
TO THE MIDWEST AND SOUTHEAST DURING THE DAY THURSDAY AND
EVENTUALLY TO THE EAST COAST LATE THURSDAY AND INTO FRIDAY
MORNING. RAINFALL WILL GENERALLY BE LIGHT TO MODERATE, THOUGH SOME
LOCALLY HEAVIER TOTALS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE
NORTHERN MID-ATLANTIC AND NEW ENGLAND FRIDAY AS STRONG SOUTHERLY
FLOW OFF THE ATLANTIC HELPS TO ENHANCE RAINFALL TOTALS, WITH AN
ISOLATED THREAT FOR SOME FLOODING. THE RAIN SHOULD CLEAR THE COAST
BY FRIDAY EVENING. SOME GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE,
PARTICULARLY CLOSER TO THE COAST. POST-FRONTAL SNOW SHOWERS WILL
REMAIN POSSIBLE FOR FAVORABLE DOWN-WIND LOCATIONS OF THE GREAT
LAKES INTO FRIDAY NIGHT.
MEANWHILE, TO THE WEST, YET ANOTHER PACIFIC SYSTEM/ATMOSPHERIC
RIVER EVENT IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST/FAR
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA THURSDAY. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAINFALL
FOR THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO FIRST FOCUS ACROSS WESTERN OREGON,
INCLUDING FOR AREAS EAST OF THE CASCADES THAT TYPICALLY DON'T SEE
AS HEAVY PRECIPITATION DURING SIMILAR EVENTS. THE HEAVY RAINFALL
WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT SOUTHWARD TOWARDS FAR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
INTO FRIDAY. SLIGHT RISKS OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL (LEVEL 2/4) ARE IN
EFFECT FOR BOTH DAYS AS RAINFALL TOTALS OF SEVERAL INCHES WILL
BRING THE THREAT OF SOME SCATTERED INSTANCES OF FLOODING. MOISTURE
ACCOMPANYING THE SYSTEM AS IT MOVES INLAND WILL ALSO BRING
ADDITIONAL HEAVY SNOW TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE CASCADES AS
WELL AS RANGES OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES.
MOST OF THE COUNTRY WILL SEE WELL TO WELL ABOVE AVERAGE
TEMPERATURES TO END THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND, INCLUDING AREAS
OF THE EASTERN U.S., AS THE PATTERN REMAINS MORE PROGRESSIVE AND
LESS-AMPLIFIED THAN THE LAST FEW WEEKS. FORECAST HIGHS GENERALLY
RANGE FROM THE 40S AND 50S ALONG THE NORTHERN TIER, 50S AND 60S
FOR MORE CENTRAL LOCATIONS ACROSS THE PLAINS, INTO THE
OHIO/TENNESSEE VALLEY, AND MID-ATLANTIC, AND 60S AND 70S FOR
SOUTHERN LOCATIONS. A HANDFUL OF POSSIBLE RECORD-TYING/BREAKING
HIGHS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE GREAT BASIN AND
DESERT SOUTHWEST THURSDAY BEFORE MUCH MORE NUMEROUS POSSIBLE
RECORDS ACROSS THE WEST AND INTO THE HIGH PLAINS, AS WELL AS IN
NEW ENGLAND ARE EXPECTED. ONE BRIEF EXCEPTION WILL BE FOLLOWING
THE COLD FRONT DROPPING FROM THE NORTH-CENTRAL TO EASTERN U.S.
TEMPERATURES WILL PLUNGE INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS FOR THE
NORTHERN PLAINS THURSDAY AND GUSTY WINDS WILL BRING SOME
DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS THURSDAY/FRIDAY MORNINGS. HIGHS WILL
FALL INTO THE 20S AND 30S FOR THE MIDWEST AND 40S AND 50S INTO THE
SOUTHEAST FRIDAY. CONDITIONS WILL RECOVER QUICKLY THE FOLLOWING
DAY IN THE PROGRESSIVE PATTERN, HOWEVER.
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