873
FXUS01 KWBC 120800
PMDSPD
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
359 AM EDT THU MAR 12 2026
VALID 12Z THU MAR 12 2026 - 12Z SAT MAR 14 2026
...INTENSE CLIPPER-LIKE SYSTEM WILL BRING A SWATH OF MODERATE TO
HEAVY SNOW ACROSS THE UPPER GREAT LAKES THURSDAY NIGHT...
...WIDESPREAD HIGH WIND EVENT EXPECTED FROM THE NORTHERN ROCKIES
TO THE UPPER MIDWEST TODAY; CRITICAL RISK OF FIRE WEATHER FOR THE
CENTRAL/SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS...
...ACTIVE ATMOSPHERIC RIVER PATTERN BRINGING HEAVY LOWER
ELEVATION/COASTAL RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW TO THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN ROCKIES...
...A PROLONGED PERIOD OF WELL ABOVE AVERAGE HEAT FOR MARCH WILL
BEGIN TO BUILD OVER THE WESTERN U.S. HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND...
A RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING LOW PRESSURE/FRONTAL SYSTEM OVER THE
NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS THIS MORNING WILL SWEEP QUICKLY EASTWARD
TOWARDS THE GREAT LAKES BRINGING A WIDESPREAD HIGH WIND EVENT AND
A SWATH OF HEAVY SNOW TO THE REGION. A LIGHT WINTRY MIX CAN BE
EXPECTED ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS TODAY BEFORE A BAND OF HEAVIER
SNOW PICKS UP INTO THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS AS THE SYSTEM
REACHES THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 4-8 INCHES,
LOCALLY HIGHER, CAN BE EXPECTED, WITH THE GUSTY WINDS ALSO LEADING
TO PERIODS OF BLOWING SNOW. SOME LIGHT TO MODERATE POST-FRONTAL
SNOWS ARE ALSO EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE HIGH PLAINS OF
MONTANA. THE DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE WILL LEAD TO WIDESPREAD VERY
STRONG WINDS FROM THE ROCKIES EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS,
WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 70 TO 80 MPH POSSIBLE. STRONG, WARM AND DRY
DOWNSLOPING WINDS EAST OF THE ROCKIES HAVE ALSO PROMPTED A
CRITICAL RISK OF FIRE WEATHER (LEVEL 2/3) FROM THE STORM
PREDICTION CENTER OVER PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN HIGH
PLAINS. THE SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE EASTWARD INTO THE NORTHEAST ON
FRIDAY, WITH MODERATE SNOWFALL POSSIBLE ACROSS UPSTATE NEW YORK
AND NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND. LOCALLY HEAVIER TOTALS ARE EXPECTED
DOWNWIND OF LAKE ONTARIO DUE TO LAKE ENHANCED SNOWS. ANOTHER
POWERFUL SYSTEM WILL FOLLOW A SIMILAR BUT MORE SOUTHERLY TRACK
INTO THE WEEKEND, WITH A SWATH OF HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED ACROSS THE
NORTHERN PLAINS AND INTO THE GREAT LAKES BEGINNING LATE FRIDAY AND
CONTINUING INTO SATURDAY.
MEANWHILE, AN ACTIVE ATMOSPHERIC RIVER PATTERN ACROSS THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES WILL CONTINUE TO BRING HEAVY
LOWER ELEVATION/COASTAL RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW THE NEXT
COUPLE OF DAYS. SNOWFALL TOTALS IN THE OLYMPICS/CASCADES AND
RANGES OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES WILL BE MEASURED IN MULTIPLE FEET,
WITH VERY STRONG WINDS PROMPTING BLIZZARD WARNINGS. THE HEAVY
RAINFALL MAY LEAD TO SOME ISOLATED INSTANCES OF FLOODING, AND
COLDER AIR SETTLING INTO THE REGION LATE FRIDAY COULD RESULT IN
SOME SNOW MIXING IN FOR THESE LOWER ELEVATIONS. THE RAIN AND SNOW
SHOULD WIND DOWN INTO SATURDAY, ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST, WHILE LINGERING A BIT LONGER IN THE NORTHERN ROCKIES.
ELSEWHERE, SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE AHEAD OF A COLD
FRONT PUSHING THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST TOWARDS THE ATLANTIC COAST
THIS MORNING. LINGERING RAIN AND SOME SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE
FURTHER NORTH THROUGH THE MID-ATLANTIC AND INTO COASTAL NEW
ENGLAND. PRECIPITATION SHOULD COME TO AN END INTO THE AFTERNOON
HOURS AS THE FRONT CLEARS THE COAST.
A PROLONGED PERIOD OF WELL ABOVE AVERAGE CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN
ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN U.S. HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND AS
PERSISTENT UPPER-LEVEL RIDGING SETTLES IN. FORECAST HIGHS THURSDAY
AND FRIDAY RANGE IN THE 60S AND 70S FOR THE GREAT BASIN, 70S AND
80S FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND 90S FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND
THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. SOME DAILY RECORD-TYING/BREAKING HIGHS WILL
BE POSSIBLE FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND THE DESERT SOUTHWEST.
THESE TEMPERATURES WILL SERVE AS A BASELINE FOR EVEN MORE
ANOMALOUS, MORE WIDESPREAD RECORD-BREAKING HEAT EXPECTED INTO NEXT
WEEK. CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN MUCH COLDER BEHIND A FRONT TO THE
NORTH THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, WITH HIGHS MAINLY IN THE 40S.
TEMPERATURES WILL FLUCTUATE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS ACROSS
THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN U.S. AHEAD OF AND FOLLOWING FRONTAL
PASSAGES. COOLER, AVERAGE TO BELOW AVERAGE HIGHS WILL SPREAD
EASTWARD FROM THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TO THE EAST COAST TODAY, WITH
WELL ABOVE AVERAGE, WARM TEMPERATURES SPREADING ACROSS THE
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PLAINS. ON FRIDAY, COLDER AIR WILL SPREAD
SOUTHWARD OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND INTO THE GREAT LAKES WHILE
WARMER TEMPERATURES RETURN TO THE MIDDLE/LOWER MISSISSIPPI AND
OHIO VALLEYS AS WELL AS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. IN GENERAL,
TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE BETWEEN THE 30S AND 40S ALONG THE NORTHERN
TIER, 50S AND 60S FROM THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TO THE EAST COAST,
AND 60S AND 70S FOR THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN PLAINS.
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