…Powerful Pacific storm to impact the West Coast with heavy rain, life
threatening flooding, wind and higher elevation mountain snow beginning
tonight…
…Heavy snow with gusty winds for North Dakota into northwestern
Minnesota into Wednesday…
…Locally heavy snow for the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia and
Pennsylvania with lighter accumulations possible for surrounding portions
of the Midwest into interior New York…
An active weather pattern will unfold across the lower 48 this week with
areas of heavy rain, snow and wind. First, a rapidly intensifying surface
low will near the Pacific Northwest this evening and tonight. While the
surface low should remain about 300 miles offshore the Washington coast,
the tight pressure gradient will result in damaging winds from northern
California into western Washington. Wind gusts of 60-70 mph (locally
higher) are expected along the coast and into mountainous portions of the
region.
A multi-day heavy rainfall event will impact northern California into
southwestern Oregon beginning tonight, continuing into Friday as an
atmospheric river stalls in and around northern California. Rainfall
accumulations over 10 inches are likely for portions of northern
California into far southwestern Oregon through Friday morning which will
lead to flooding rainfall and areas of flash flooding, especially across
sensitive burn scars and any urban locations. WPC has issued a High Risk
(level 4/4) of Excessive Rainfall across parts of northwest California on
Thursday in order to further highlight the flooding threat. Into the
mountains, heavy snow and strong winds will lead to blizzard conditions
for portions of the Cascades into the northern Sierra Nevada. Residents
and visitors throughout the Northwest are urged to have multiple ways to
receive warnings, listen to advice from local officials, and avoid
traveling through hazardous weather conditions if possible.
Over the north-central U.S., an ongoing storm system will continue threats
for gusty winds and snowfall from northeastern Montana into northwestern
Minnesota into Wednesday before tapering off Wednesday night . As a
surface low slowly tracks north from Minnesota tonight, colder air is
expected to allow a changeover to snow for most regions with additional
snowfall accumulations of 3-6 inches (locally higher) for northern/eastern
North Dakota. Light to locally moderate snowfall will also impact
northwestern Minnesota and northeastern South Dakota. Winds combined with
falling snow or snow already on the ground will reduce visibility and
result in hazardous travel conditions.
Across the Midwest and Northeast, as the upper level storm system from the
north-central U.S. moves eastward, colder temperatures and areas of snow
are expected for portions of the Midwest, Pennsylvania and interior New
York starting late Wednesday into Thursday. Locally heavy snow with
accumulations in excess of 6 inches should be expected for the higher
elevations of the central Appalachians from West Virginia into
Pennsylvania beginning Thursday and continuing into the night.
Otto
Graphics available at
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php
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