858
FXUS01 KWBC 181931
PMDSPD
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
330 PM EDT WED MAR 18 2026
VALID 00Z THU MAR 19 2026 - 00Z SAT MAR 21 2026
...AN ANOMALOUSLY EARLY AND RECORD-BREAKING HEATWAVE CONTINUES TO
INTENSIFY ACROSS THE WESTERN U.S. AND EXPAND EAST INTO THE GREAT
PLAINS...
...WET WEATHER CONTINUES FOR WESTERN WASHINGTON; WINTRY MIX
EXPECTED ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES TO THE INTERIOR
NORTHEAST...
...CRITICAL RISK OF FIRE WEATHER ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL
AND NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS...
AN ANOMALOUSLY STRONG HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL FURTHER STRENGTHEN
AND EXPAND EASTWARD OVER THE WESTERN U.S. TO GREAT PLAINS THIS
WEEK, BRINGING AN ALMOST SUMMER-LIKE HEATWAVE TO THE REGION.
FORECAST HIGH TEMPERATURES THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS WILL INTENSIFY
AND SOAR INTO THE 80S AND 90S FROM CALIFORNIA EASTWARD THROUGH THE
GREAT BASIN, ROCKIES, AND INTO THE PLAINS, WITH 100S FOR SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA AND THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. NUMEROUS AND WIDESPREAD DAILY
AND MARCH MONTHLY RECORD HIGHS ARE LIKELY, WITH SOME LOCATIONS IN
CALIFORNIA ALREADY BREAKING THEIR MARCH MONTHLY RECORDS ON
TUESDAY. MANY LOCATIONS ACROSS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST ARE EXPECTED
TO SEE THEIR EARLIEST 100+ DEGREE DAY ON RECORD. THE EARLY,
PROLONGED NATURE OF THIS HEAT WITH LIMITED SEASONAL ACCLIMATION
WILL INCREASE THE RISK OF HEAT IMPACTS ESPECIALLY AMONG SENSITIVE
POPULATIONS OR THOSE WITHOUT EFFECTIVE COOLING, AND HEAT-RELATED
ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS HAVE BEEN POSTED ACROSS THE DESERT
SOUTHWEST AND ALONG CENTRAL/SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. ANOTHER CONCERN
WILL BE RAPID SNOW MELT DUE TO THE WIDESPREAD HEAT, LEADING TO
RIVER RISES AND SWIFT, DANGEROUS CURRENTS. WHILE AIR TEMPERATURES
WILL SEEM WARM ENOUGH, WATER TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN DANGEROUSLY
COLD, AND ANYONE ENTERING THE WATER IS AT RISK OF COLD WATER SHOCK
AND HYPOTHERMIA. THE FOCUS FOR THE HEAT WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT FROM
THE WESTERN U.S. TOWARDS THE PLAINS INTO THE WEEKEND. HOWEVER,
WHILE TEMPERATURES MAY DROP RELATIVE TO THE ANOMALIES OF THIS
WEEK, THE EXPECTATION IS THAT WELL ABOVE AVERAGE HIGHS WILL
PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. MEANWHILE, TO THE EAST,
CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN TO IMPROVE FOLLOWING A VERY CHILLY FIRST
PART OF THE WEEK ACROSS THE EASTERN U.S. HIGHS WILL NOT ONLY
RETURN TO AVERAGE BUT TREND ABOVE AVERAGE, FIRST THROUGHOUT THE
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TODAY AND THURSDAY, AND THEN TO THE EAST COAST
THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY, WITH A PLEASANT SPRING-LIKE WEEKEND IN STORE
FOR MOST.
A PERSISTENT PLUME OF MOISTURE/ATMOSPHERIC RIVER ANCHORED ALONG
THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE WESTERN U.S. RIDGE WILL CONTINUE TO BRING
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST THROUGH THE NEXT
COUPLE OF DAYS. SOME ISOLATED FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE,
ESPECIALLY FOR UPSLOPE LOCATIONS ALONG THE OLYMPICS AND CASCADES.
WARM AIR ACCOMPANYING THE ATMOSPHERIC RIVER WILL KEEP SNOWFALL
LIMITED TO THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN ELEVATIONS. SOME LOWER ELEVATION
RAIN AND HIGHER ELEVATION SNOW IS ALSO EXPECTED INTO THE NORTHERN
ROCKIES. A PAIR OF LOW PRESSURE/FRONTAL SYSTEMS WILL BRING A
WINTRY MIX FIRST TO PORTIONS OF THE UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES THIS
EVENING INTO THURSDAY AND THEN FROM THE UPPER GREAT LAKES INTO THE
INTERIOR NORTHEAST THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. SOME SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AHEAD OF THE SECOND SYSTEM THROUGH THE
UPPER OHIO VALLEY INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC AND COASTAL NEW ENGLAND
LATER FRIDAY. LEE TROUGHING EAST OF THE ROCKIES WILL LEAD TO GUSTY
WINDS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS. THE
GUSTS COMBINED WITH THE WARM, VERY DRY DOWNSLOPING WINDS HAVE
PROMPTED A CRITICAL RISK OF FIRE WEATHER (LEVEL 2/3) FROM THE
STORM PREDICTION CENTER ACROSS EASTERN WYOMING AND ADJACENT
NEBRASKA/COLORADO TODAY AND CONTINUING FOR EASTERN WYOMING
TOMORROW.
PUTNAM
GRAPHICS AVAILABLE AT
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/BASICWX/BASICWX_NDFD.PHP
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page