453  
FXUS21 KWNC 171815  
PMDTHR  
US HAZARDS OUTLOOK  
NWS CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
300 PM EDT OCTOBER 17 2024  
 
SYNOPSIS: A GENERALLY QUIET PATTERN IS PREDICTED ACROSS THE CONTIGUOUS U.S.  
(CONUS) DURING WEEK-2, WITH MID-LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE EAST INTO PORTIONS  
OF THE SOUTHWEST FAVORING ABOVE-NORMAL TEMPERATURES. AN EXCEPTION IS IN THE  
PACIFIC NORTHWEST WHERE ENHANCED ONSHORE FLOW MAY BRING ROUNDS OF PRECIPITATION  
INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST BUT PRECIPITATION IS UNLIKELY TO REACH HAZARDOUS  
THRESHOLDS. FLOODING IN THE WAKE OF HURRICANE MILTON REMAINS A CONCERN OVER  
PARTS OF FLORIDA. CONVERSELY, RAPID ONSET DROUGHT REMAINS A RISK ACROSS  
PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. IN ALASKA, TWO  
AREAS OF LOW PRESSURE ARE FORECAST IN WEEK-2 THAT MAY BRING HIGH WINDS AND  
HEAVY PRECIPITATION TO PORTIONS OF WESTERN MAINLAND ALASKA AND THE BERING AND  
CHUKCHI SEAS.  
 
HAZARDS  
 
A SLIGHT RISK OF HIGH WINDS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN MAINLAND ALASKA, FRI-SAT,  
OCT 25-26, AND MON-WED, OCT 28-30.  
 
A SLIGHT RISK OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN MAINLAND ALASKA,  
FRI-SAT, OCT 25-26.  
 
A SLIGHT RISK OF HEAVY SNOW FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN INTERIOR ALASKA, FRI-SAT,  
OCT 25-26.  
 
POSSIBLE FLOODING FOR THE PARTS OF WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER, PEACE RIVER, AND ST.  
JOHNS RIVER IN THE CENTRAL FLORIDA PENINSULA.  
 
RISK OF RAPID ONSET DROUGHT (ROD) ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN TEXAS, NORTHERN  
LOUISIANA, AND SOUTHWESTERN MISSISSIPPI.  
 
DETAILED SUMMARY  
 
FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 20 - THURSDAY OCTOBER 24:  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/THREATS/THREATS.PHP  
 
FOR FRIDAY OCTOBER 25 - THURSDAY OCTOBER 31: ANOMALOUS RIDGING AND UNSEASONABLY  
WARM TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO BE WIDESPREAD ACROSS MUCH OF THE CONUS,  
EXCLUDING PORTIONS OF THE WEST COAST AND NORTHERN ROCKIES. THE ANOMALOUS WARMTH  
MAY BE IN DECLINE BY THE END OF WEEK-2 BUT TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY TO REMAIN  
ABOVE-NORMAL THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD.  
 
IN ALASKA, A PROGRESSIVE MID-LEVEL HEIGHT PATTERN IS FORECAST WITH MID-LEVEL  
RIDGING FORECAST ACROSS THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS AND NORTH PACIFIC AT THE START OF  
THE PERIOD TO PROGRESS SOUTHEAST OVER TIME AND WEAKEN. MULTIPLE WAVES OF  
MID-LEVEL TROUGHING ARE FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH MAINLAND ALASKA FROM EASTERN  
SIBERIA AND THE NORTH PACIFIC. AN AREA OF SURFACE LOW PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO  
IMPACT WESTERN ALASKA EARLY IN THE PERIOD. THIS MAY POTENTIALLY SET UP A STRONG  
PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS WESTERN ALASKA BRINGING HIGH WINDS TO THE REGION WITH  
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE FORECAST ACROSS THE NORTH PACIFIC. THE PROBABILISTIC  
EXTREMES TOOLS (PETS) FROM THE GEFS AND ECENS FORECASTS ELEVATED CHANCES OF  
HIGH WINDS ACROSS MUCH OF WESTERN ALASKA AND IS SUPPORTED BY THE MID-LEVEL FLOW  
PATTERN. THEREFORE, SLIGHT RISK OF HIGH WINDS IS POSTED FOR WESTERN MAINLAND  
ALASKA FOR OCT 25-26. FOLLOWING A BRIEF BREAK, A SECOND AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IS  
FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE SAME AREA BY OCT 28, ONCE AGAIN INCREASING CHANCES  
FOR HIGH WINDS ALONG COASTAL PORTIONS OF WESTERN ALASKA. THEREFORE, A SECOND  
RISK PERIOD IS FORECAST FROM OCT 28-30.  
 
ANY LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT DOES DEVELOP MAY BRING CHANCES FOR HEAVY RAIN AND  
SNOW TO PORTIONS OF WESTERN ALASKA. THE GEFS AND ECENS PETS FORECAST 20-30%  
CHANCES OF 3-DAY PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS TO EXCEED THE 85TH PERCENTILE FOR DAYS  
8-10. THEREFORE, A SLIGHT RISK OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION IS POSTED FOR PORTIONS OF  
WESTERN ALASKA FOR OCT 25-26. IN PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL INTERIOR MUCH OF THIS  
PRECIPITATION WOULD LIKELY FALL AS SNOW AND A SLIGHT RISK OF HEAVY SNOW IS  
POSTED FOR OCT 25-26. NEAR THE WESTERN COAST THE HEAVY SNOW IS FAVORED ACROSS  
HIGHER ELEVATIONS WITH MORE MIXED PRECIPITATION CHANCES AT LOWER ALTITUDES AND  
SO THERE IS SOME OVERLAP OF THE HEAVY SNOW AND HEAVY PRECIPITATION SLIGHT RISKS  
IN THIS AREA. THERE REMAINS TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY REGARDING PRECIPITATION  
AMOUNTS WITH ANY SECONDARY LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TO FORECAST A HAZARD FOR THE  
MIDDLE TO END OF THE PERIOD.  
 
ALONG THE WEST COAST OF THE CONUS, A MID-LEVEL TROUGH IS FORECAST TO BE ALONG  
THE COAST AT THE START OF WEEK-2. THE TROUGH MAY BRING A PERIOD OF UNSETTLED  
WEATHER TO PORTIONS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. THE PETS  
FROM THE ECENS AND GEFS FORECAST 20-30% CHANCES FOR 3-DAY PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS  
TO EXCEED THE 85TH PERCENTILE ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. HOWEVER, THE TOOLS  
GENERALLY FORECAST A 20-40% CHANCE OF 3-DAY PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS REACHING 1.5  
INCHES ACROSS PORTIONS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON WITH A 20-40% CHANCE OF 3-DAY  
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS OF 1 INCH ACROSS PORTIONS OF OREGON AND NORTHERN  
CALIFORNIA. THIS WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO REACH HAZARDOUS THRESHOLDS AND IN MANY  
WAYS WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THIS AREA, THEREFORE, NO CORRESPONDING HAZARD IS  
POSTED TODAY.  
 
HURRICANE MILTON MADE LANDFALL ON OCT 9 NEAR SIESTA KEY, FLORIDA LEAVING BEHIND  
EXTENSIVE ONGOING FLOODING AND IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE THROUGH WEEK-1 AND  
POSSIBLY INTO WEEK-2. THEREFORE, THE FLOODING POSSIBLE AREA REMAINS POSTED  
ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE ST. JOHNS RIVER AND THE WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER. THESE  
RIVERS ARE IN A REGION OF FLAT TERRAIN AND SANDY SOILS AND THIS WILL SLOW RIVER  
RECESSION.  
 
THE RAPID ONSET DROUGHT (ROD) RISK HAS BEEN UPDATED TODAY TO REFLECT THE NEW  
DROUGHT MONITOR WITH REDUCED COVERAGE ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN TEXAS,  
LOUISIANA AND ARKANSAS. THERE REMAINS A RISK OF ROD FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN  
TEXAS AND NORTHERN LOUISIANA. THE ROD HAZARD HAS ALSO BEEN EXPANDED INTO  
PORTIONS OF SOUTHWESTERN MISSISSIPPI. THESE AREAS REMAIN FAVORED TO HAVE NEAR-  
TO BELOW-NORMAL PRECIPITATION DURING WEEK-2, ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR  
TEMPERATURES IN THE 80S DEG F SUPPORTING HIGHER EVAPOTRANSPIRATION RATES.  
 
FORECASTER: RYAN BOLT  
 

 
 
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