…Critical fire weather conditions and damaging downslope winds expected
through Thursday across portions of Southern California with extremely
critical fire weather likely for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties
on Wednesday…
…A developing winter storm will produce snow, sleet, and freezing rain
over portions of Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas Wednesday night into
Thursday…
…Moderate to heavy lake-effect snow downwind from the Great Lakes
through Thursday…
Strong high pressure will settle across the Great Basin and set the stage
for the development of very strong Santa Ana winds over Southern
California through Thursday. The combination of very strong downslope
winds, low relative humidity, and dry fuels will result in a significant
risk of critical fire weather across parts of Southern California through
Wednesday and Thursday. In fact, the Storm Prediction Center has outlined
an extremely critical risk of fire weather for portions of Los Angeles and
Ventura counties on Wednesday, highlighting the potential for extreme fire
weather behavior should ignitions occur. Additionally, damaging wind gusts
of 50 to 80 mph are expected tonight into Wednesday with isolated gusts of
80 to 100 mph in the mountains and foothills. These winds have the
potential to cause downed trees and power lines which could lead to
widespread power outages.
Snow, sleet, and freezing rain are becoming increasingly likely for
portions of the southern Plains Wednesday night into Thursday as a winter
storm begins to take shape. Arctic air to the north combined with
developing low pressure along the Gulf Coast will lead to widespread
wintry precipitation across the region, with snow favored from Texas, to
Oklahoma, to Arkansas. Farther south, snow will transition to sleet and
freezing rain as warmer air aloft overspreads below freezing temperatures
at the surface. This system has the potential to produce significant
impacts with hazardous driving conditions possible. As a result, Winter
Storm Watches have already been issued to raise awareness to the growing
wintry threat.
The cold, Arctic air that will set the stage for significant wintry
weather in the South will also be responsible for persistent lake-effect
snow downwind of the Great Lakes and across portions of the central and
northern Appalachians through Thursday. Lake-effect snowfall accumulations
of 6 to 12 inches are expected, particularly downwind of Lake Erie and
Lake Ontario. Locally higher amounts over a foot are possible near and to
the southwest of Syracuse, New York, which could lead to hazardous driving
conditions.
Miller
Graphics available at
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php
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