472
FXUS01 KWBC 121938
PMDSPD
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
336 PM EDT THU MAR 12 2026
VALID 00Z FRI MAR 13 2026 - 00Z SUN MAR 15 2026
...INTENSE CLIPPER-LIKE SYSTEM WILL BRING HEAVY SNOW ACROSS
PORTIONS OF THE UPPER MIDWEST AND UPPER GREAT LAKES TONIGHT AND
FRIDAY...
...WIDESPREAD HIGH WIND EVENT EXPECTED FROM THE NORTHERN ROCKIES
TO THE UPPER MIDWEST THROUGH TONIGHT...
...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 SYSTEM CURRENTLY OVER THE
NORTHERN PLAINS WILL ADVANCE QUICKLY EASTWARD THROUGH THE GREAT
LAKES TONIGHT AND FRIDAY BRINGING A WIDESPREAD HIGH WIND EVENT AND
A SWATH OF HEAVY SNOW TO THE REGION. HEAVY SNOW WILL SET UP
ESPECIALLY TO THE NORTH OF THE LOW TRACK IMPACTING PORTIONS OF THE
UPPER MIDWEST AND THE UPPER GREAT LAKES GOING THROUGH FRIDAY.
SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 6 TO 12+ INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED WHICH WITH THE
STRONG, GUSTY WINDS SHOULD FAVOR POOR VISIBILITY WITH 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 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 BY FRIDAY NIGHT, 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 STORM SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO ORGANIZE OVER
THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS ON SATURDAY WHICH WILL BRING
A NEW SWATH OF HEAVY SNOWFALL TO THE NORTHERN PLAINS.
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. ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL TOTALS IN THE
OLYMPICS/CASCADES AND NORTHERN ROCKIES WILL BE AS MUCH AS 2 TO 4
FEET. 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, A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL BE CLEARING THE SOUTHEAST U.S.
THIS EVENING WHICH WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY SOME SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS BEFORE MUCH COLDER AND DRIER CONDITIONS ARRIVES
TONIGHT. THESE COLDER TEMPERATURES WILL LINGER ALONG THE EAST
COAST ON FRIDAY BEFORE THEN MODERATING BACK TO ABOVE NORMAL ON
SATURDAY. HOWEVER, A PROLONGED PERIOD OF WELL ABOVE AVERAGE
TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN U.S.
HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND AS PERSISTENT UPPER-LEVEL RIDGING SETTLES
IN. FORECAST HIGHS THROUGH FRIDAY WILL 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 U.S.
AHEAD OF AND FOLLOWING MULTIPLE FRONTAL PASSAGES.
ORRISON/PUTNAM
GRAPHICS AVAILABLE AT
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/BASICWX/BASICWX_NDFD.PHP
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page