670
FXUS01 KWBC 231939
PMDSPD
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
237 PM EST FRI JAN 23 2026
VALID 00Z SAT JAN 24 2026 - 00Z MON JAN 26 2026
...MAJOR WINTER STORM TO BEGIN IMPACTING THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
PLAINS TODAY, BEFORE MOVING INTO THE MID-SOUTH, MID-ATLANTIC, AND
NORTHEAST THIS WEEKEND...
...CATASTROPHIC ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED FROM THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS TO THE SOUTHEAST/MID-ATLANTIC...
...DANGEROUSLY COLD TEMPERATURES SET TO EXPAND ACROSS MUCH OF THE
EASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE U.S. THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...
A SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM IS FORECAST TO BEGIN IN THE SOUTHERN
ROCKIES AND CENTRAL/SOUTHERN PLAINS TODAY, PROGRESSING EASTWARD
THROUGH THE MID-SOUTH AND INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC AND THE NORTHEAST
THROUGH MONDAY. THIS IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE LARGE SWATHS OF HEAVY
SNOW, SLEET, AND FREEZING RAIN, BRINGING HAZARDOUS DRIVING
CONDITIONS, POWER OUTAGES, AND TREE DAMAGE. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL
IS EXPECTED ACROSS A LARGE AREA, INCLUDING PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN
ROCKIES, PLAINS, AND THROUGH THE MID-ATLANTIC AND NORTHEAST.
SNOWFALL TOTALS ARE EXPECTED TO EXCEED ONE FOOT IN PARTS OF THESE
AREAS, AND WIDESPREAD TRAVEL DISRUPTIONS ARE LIKELY. SOUTH OF THE
SNOW AXIS, WIDESPREAD FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET ARE EXPECTED,
AFFECTING THE SOUTHERN PLAINS, LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY, TENNESSEE
VALLEY, AND MUCH OF THE MID-ATLANTIC. CATASTROPHIC IMPACTS ARE
EXPECTED WHERE FREEZING RAIN TOTALS EXCEED HALF AN INCH, WITH OVER
AN INCH EXPECTED IN PARTS OF LOUISIANA, ARKANSAS, MISSISSIPPI, AND
THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS.
AFTER THE PASSING OF THE WINTER STORM, A STRONG ARCTIC AIR MASS
ORIGINATED FROM CANADA WILL CONTINUE TO BRING FRIGID TEMPERATURES
INTO THE EASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE U.S. INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.
SUB-ZERO LOW TEMPERATURES WILL SPREAD FROM THROUGH THESE REGIONS,
AND WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY GUSTY WINDS, BRINGING DANGEROUSLY LOW
WIND CHILLS. THE COLDEST WIND CHILLS MAY FALL BELOW -50F ACROSS
THE NORTHERN PLAINS, AND NUMEROUS OTHER RECORD LOWS ARE EXPECTED.
THESE WIND CHILLS WILL POSE A LIFE-THREATENING RISK OF HYPOTHERMIA
AND FROSTBITE TO EXPOSED SKIN, AND RISKS COULD BE PROLONGED AND
EXACERBATED BY POWER OUTAGES CAUSED BY THE AFOREMENTIONED WINTER
STORM. COLD TEMPERATURES ARE THEN EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH
OF THE EASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE U.S. INTO EARLY FEBRUARY
ACCORDING TO A KEY MESSAGE FROM THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER.
MEANWHILE ALONG THE GULF COAST, POTENTIALLY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
ARE FORECAST IN PARTS OF SOUTHERN ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, AND THE
FLORIDA PANHANDLE ON SUNDAY IN THE WAKE OF A MID-LEVEL TROUGH
MOVING INTO THE GULF. THE PROGRESSION OF THE TROUGH WILL ALLOW FOR
A WEAK SURFACE FRONT TO REMAIN IN PLACE AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE
PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED ARCTIC FRONT. AFTER THE FRONT STALLS,
RELATIVE WARM MOISTURE ADVECTION IS EXPECTED FROM THE GULF, AND
WITH PRESENT WEAK INSTABILITY AND MID-LEVEL SUPPORT, STRONG TO
POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE. THE STORM
PREDICTION CENTER IS FORECASTING A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ON SUNDAY.
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