504
FXUS01 KWBC 250738
PMDSPD
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
337 AM EDT WED MAR 25 2026
VALID 12Z WED MAR 25 2026 - 12Z FRI MAR 27 2026
...RECORD-BREAKING HEAT EXPANDS FROM THE SOUTHWEST TO THE PLAINS,
MIDWEST, AND SOUTHEAST...
...WINTRY PRECIPITATION CHANCES ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER THROUGH
THURSDAY...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE MIDWEST AND OHIO
VALLEY ON THURSDAY...
ANOTHER RECORD-BREAKING HEAT WAVE IS UNDERWAY ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST
WITH A STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE POSITIONED OVER THE REGION. THE
RIDGE WILL SHIFT EAST OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS, SPREADING HEAT
INTO THE PLAINS TODAY, MIDWEST ON THURSDAY, AND SOUTHEAST ON
FRIDAY. HEAT SHOULD PEAK IN INTENSITY TODAY INTO THURSDAY AS
TEMPERATURES REACH 25-35 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE FOR THIS TIME OF
YEAR. HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 90S WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM THE
CENTRAL/SOUTHERN PLAINS TO THE MID-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. HEAT WILL
RELAX A BIT ON FRIDAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WEAKENS, BUT HIGH
TEMPERATURES COULD STILL NEAR 90 DEGREES IN THE SOUTHEAST.
NUMEROUS TEMPERATURE RECORDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE TIED OR BROKEN
DURING THIS HEAT WAVE.
RELIEF FROM THE HEAT WILL GRADUALLY ARRIVE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AS
A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES ACROSS THE NATION TONIGHT THROUGH
FRIDAY. INITIALLY, UPPER LEVEL ENERGY WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHWEST
WITH A PACIFIC FRONTAL SYSTEM, THEN THE UPPER LEVEL ENERGY WILL
ROUND THE TOP OF THE RIDGE POSITIONED OVER THE SOUTHWEST AND DIG
INTO THE NORTH-CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN U.S. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.
A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE IN PLACE ACROSS THE
NORTHERN TIER TODAY, THEN THE ENERGETIC UPPER LEVEL WAVE WILL
DRIVE THE FRONT SOUTH ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN U.S. AS A
STRONG COLD FRONT. MUCH COLDER AIR WILL ARRIVE IN THE WAKE OF THE
FRONT, WITH WELL BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES EXPECTED FOR MUCH OF
THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN U.S. FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY.
THIS FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY WINTRY PRECIPITATION
CHANCES ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER TODAY THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY,
WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW IN THE CASCADES AND
NORTHERN ROCKIES. PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL EXPAND SOUTH ON
THURSDAY, WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED FROM THE CENTRAL
PLAINS TO THE MID-ATLANTIC. SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
POSSIBLE IN PORTIONS OF THE MIDWEST AND OHIO VALLEY ON THURSDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING, AND SEVERE STORMS COULD BRING A THREAT OF
LARGE HAIL, DAMAGING WINDS, AND A FEW TORNADOES. PRECIPITATION
CHANCES WILL LINGER IN THE MID-ATLANTIC ON FRIDAY, BUT THE FRONT
SHOULD BE MOSTLY DRY AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST.
IN ADDITION TO PRECIPITATION CHANCES, THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE
ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG WINDS, WHICH WILL CREATE ELEVATED TO
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NORTHERN/CENTRAL
ROCKIES AND HIGH PLAINS TODAY AND CENTRAL/SOUTHERN ROCKIES AND
PLAINS THURSDAY.
DOLAN
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