…Critical fire weather conditions continue for southern California…
…Clipper system bringing snow showers to the Upper Midwest/Great Lakes
this weekend…
…Moderate to locally heavy snow for the parts of the northern to central
Rockies…
…Below average, frigid Winter temperatures continue for much of the
lower 48…
Critical fire-weather conditions will unfortunately ramp up again today
for southern California and last through at least early next week as
periodic enhancements of off-shore winds continue. The Storm Prediction
Center has highlighted the region with this Critical Risk (level 2/3) due
to forecast sustained winds of 20 mph, with gusts to 40+, and dry relative
humidity. This may lead to the spread of ongoing fires as well as the
development of new ones.
Winter-weather wise, a clipper system crossing the Upper Midwest/Great
Lakes this weekend will bring widespread snow showers to the region.
Amounts should generally range between 3-6″, with some locally heavier
amounts (8+”) possible, especially where lake-enhanced snowfall occurs
along both the Upper Peninsula and western Michigan and downwind of Lakes
Erie and Ontario. A period of more prolonged lake-effect snows will also
settle in downwind of Lakes Erie and Ontario continuing beyond the current
forecast period with northwesterly flow in place. A shortwave passing over
the Great Basin/Rockies aided by upslope flow on the backside of the
clipper system will also continue to bring snow to northern/central
Rockies and adjacent High Plains as well as the eastern Great Basin. Heavy
accumulations (1-2 feet) are forecast for the areal mountain ranges, with
some moderate amounts of 3-6 inches in the northern High Plains.
Elsewhere, some light snow showers will continue across portions of New
England and the interior Northeast through Saturday night as a low
pressure system departs the region into the Atlantic. To the south, a low
pressure system traversing the Gulf of Mexico will bring some moderate to
locally heavy rain showers to the western Gulf Coast Sunday, the central
Gulf Coast Sunday night, and the Gulf Coast of Florida by Monday.
High Temperatures are forecast to remain below average for much of the
lower 48 with broad upper-toughing in place, anchored by an upper-low over
southeastern Canada. Periodic sweeping cold front passages will keep
bringing waves of frigid Canadian air southward. Conditions broadly will
tend to be at least 5-15 degrees below average, particularly over
north-central portions of the country the next couple of days. Forecast
highs in the Upper-Midwest and northern Plains will generally be in the
single digits and teens, with wind chills as low as -25. Forecast
temperatures more generally range from the teens and 20s across the
Midwest; the 20s and 30s in the Rockies; the 30s and 40s for the Interior
West and from the central/southern Plains east through the
Mid-South/Southeast to the East Coast; and the 50s to low 60s for the Gulf
Coast, Desert Southwest, and California. Frost and Freeze-related
Advisories/Warnings are in place across seasonally more temperate portions
of the country including southern Georgia/northern Florida, the Desert
Southwest, and the central California Valleys as lows in the 30s may
damage sensitive vegetation.
Putnam
Graphics available at
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php
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