718
FXUS01 KWBC 161621
PMDSPD
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
1220 PM EDT MON MAR 16 2026
VALID 00Z TUE MAR 17 2026 - 00Z THU MAR 19 2026
...SNOW CHANCES CONTINUE ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST TO THE UPPER
GREAT LAKES...
...AN ANOMALOUSLY EARLY HEATWAVE BEGINS TO INTENSIFY AND EXPAND
EAST ACROSS THE WESTERN U.S....
...CRITICAL RISK OF FIRE WEATHER SHIFTS FARTHER SOUTH TOWARD THE
LOWER TEXAS COAST TODAY...
THE STRONG SURFACE LOW THAT BROUGHT SOME HEAVY SNOW OVER THE UPPER
GREAT LAKES AND UPPER MIDWEST WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST INTO
CANADA BY TONIGHT. COLD AIR WILL WRAP AROUND THE LOW AND NORTHWEST
WINDS WILL ENHANCE THE LAKE EFFECT, BRINGING ADDITIONAL SNOW OVER
THE GREAT LAKES ON TUESDAY BEFORE TAPERING OFF BY THE NIGHT.
MEANWHILE, A SWATH OF LIGHT SNOW AHEAD OF A WARM FRONT WILL MOVE
EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS ON TUESDAY BEFORE REACHING THE
MIDWEST AND POSSIBLY INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES BY WEDNESDAY
MORNING. THE ARCTIC COLD AIR WILL GRADUALLY PUSH FURTHER INTO THE
CENTRAL APPALACHIANS AND MID-ATLANTIC STATES CONVERTING SOME OF
THE PRECIPITATION INTO SNOW OVER HIGHER ELEVATIONS. ALTHOUGH SNOW
AMOUNTS EXPECTED TO REMAIN MODERATE, WITH THE EMBEDDED SHORTWAVES
WITHIN THE TROUGH, EXPECT MOMENTS OF GUSTY WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY
SNOW BANDS THAT COULD CAUSE LOCAL TRAVEL IMPACTS. THE INTENSE
CYCLONE THAT BROUGHT THE SERIES OF THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS
ACROSS MUCH OF EASTERN U.S. WILL MOVE OFF THE COAST BY TONIGHT.
MUCH OF THE TRAILING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OVER THE WATERS, EXCEPT
OVER FLORIDA WHERE CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVERNIGHT
WITH CHANCES FOR DOWNPOURS.
FARTHER WEST, A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL APPROACH THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST, INCREASING ONSHORE MOISTURE ACROSS THE REGION TUESDAY
INTO WEDNESDAY. RAIN WILL SPREAD INLAND OVER WASHINGTON WITH
CHANCES FOR SNOW/MIXED PRECIPITATION OVER THE CASCADES AND
NORTHERN ROCKIES. WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A MARGINAL
RISK FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OVER PORTIONS OF WASHINGTON FOR
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, AS SOILS WILL BE RELATIVELY MOIST WITH
ADDITIONAL 2-4" OF RAIN EXPECTED.
ARCTIC AIR WILL CONTINUE TO BRING BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ACROSS
THE SOUTH INTO EASTERN U.S. BELOW FREEZING WIND CHILL VALUES WILL
PENETRATE DOWN TO THE GULF COAST AND THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE BY
TUESDAY MORNING. FREEZE WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE ARKLATEX
REGION AND PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST.
AN UNUSUAL WEATHER PATTERN FEATURING A GRADUALLY INTENSIFYING
UPPER RIDGE WILL BRING AN ANOMALOUSLY EARLY HEATWAVE INTO THE
WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF THE COUNTRY AS THE WEEK
PROGRESSES. DAILY RECORD-TYING/BREAKING HIGHS WILL BECOME MORE
COMMON ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, THE DESERT SOUTHWEST AND INTO
THE GREAT BASIN OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THESE TEMPERATURES
WILL SERVE AS A BASELINE FOR EVEN MORE ANOMALOUS, MORE WIDESPREAD
RECORD-BREAKING HEAT EXPECTED LATER THIS WEEK. EXTREME HEAT
WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT STARTING WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR AREAS OVER
THE SOUTHWEST.
OUDIT/KONG
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