Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
323 PM EST Tue Jan 14 2025

Valid 00Z Wed Jan 15 2025 - 00Z Fri Jan 17 2025

...Extremely critical fire weather conditions will continue across coastal
Southern California through Wednesday...

...Much below average temperatures from the Midwest to the central
Appalachians through Wednesday but warming into the central U.S. starting
Wednesday...

...Locally heavy lake effect snow showers downwind of the Great Lakes
through Thursday...

Southern California continues to see ingredients for high fire danger:
strong wind gusts in the 45-70 mph range and relative humidities in the
8-15 % range. The Los Angeles Weather Forecast Office has issued a
Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning into Wednesday
afternoon. The environment will be favorable to rapid fire growth if a
fire does start or to current fires ongoing in the region.

A surge of Arctic air is filtering down across the Midwest and moving
southeastward with a cold front across the Ohio Valley this afternoon.
High temperatures will be in the single digits across the northern Plains
today, and the high temperatures will generally be in the 20s and 30s from
the Ohio Valley into the eastern seaboard Wednesday and Thursday. Low
temperatures will be plummeting into the single digits, even negative
temperatures will be possible across the Midwest and Northern Plains. The
eastern urban corridor will see its lowest temperatures on Thursday
morning as lows fall into the teens. Signs of warmth will be on the way as
temperatures rebound in the Central Plains starting Wednesday with highs
creeping up into the 40s and 50s as warm air advects in and upper level
troughing departs. This will begin to spread eastward across the CONUS.

A westerly wind component over cold air at the surface will prolong
favorable conditions for heavy lake effect snow for the Great Lakes.
Eastern shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Eerie continue to see some heavy
snow bands streaming into the region. Areas that see the heaviest snow
bands may still see up to a foot of snowfall accumulations along with
gusty winds that will make traveling hazardous. Eastern shores of Lake
Michigan will also be seeing lake effect snow, and a Winter Weather
Advisory is in effect for the possibility of 2-5 inches of snow for the
remainder of today.

For areas not covered in the main weather stories, most of the South will
be seasonably cool with highs in the 50s and 60s behind the cold front.
Parts of Texas and the northern Gulf Coast may see rain showers as low
level moisture and an inverted trough wil be present. The temperatures
should begin to warm up in the region beginning on Thursday as the upper
level trough begins to leave the area and high pressure builds in. Most of
the West should generally see above average temperatures and remain dry as
upper level ridging is present. The next storm system looks to move into
the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley region Wednesday night into Thursday and
may bring the next chance for accumulating snow.



Wilder


Graphics available at
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php