Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
259 AM EST Wed Dec 03 2025

Valid 12Z Wed Dec 03 2025 - 12Z Fri Dec 05 2025

...Periods of snow, heavy at times, for portions of the Rockies/High
Plains, Pacific Northwest, and the Great Lakes in an active winter-like
pattern...

...Moderate to heavy rainfall expected along the Gulf Coast the next
couple days with an isolated risk for flash flooding...

...A surge of arctic air is forecast to challenge low temperature records
over the Midwest Thursday morning...

An active winter-like pattern will continue to bring the threat of winter
weather to multiple areas of the country through the end of the week and
into the weekend, with a focus on the Rockies/High Plains, Pacific
Northwest, and the Great Lakes the next couple of days. First, an
upper-wave dropping southward over the central/southern Rockies with
favorable post-frontal upslope flow in place will continue to bring
moderate to heavy snowfall to both the mountains and adjacent High Plains
today (Wednesday). Mountain locations can expect snowfall totals of 6-12",
locally higher, with totals as high as 3-6" for lower elevations along the
Colorado Front Range. Snow should begin to taper off later this evening
and into early Thursday morning. Some wintry precipitation may also spread
into portions of the southern High Plains overnight as the system moves
into the Plains. The focus will shift northwestward on Thursday as another
series of upper-level shortwaves drop southward over the Pacific Northwest
and northern Great Basin/Rockies, bringing an expanding area of coastal
rain, a lower elevation inland wintry mix, and higher elevation snow.
Moderate to heavy snow totals can be expected for area ranges in the
northern Rockies as well as the Cascades. Accumulations of wintry
precipitation should remain limited at lower elevations.

Meanwhile, a clipper-like system will pass through the Great Lakes today,
leading to lake-enhanced snowfall for favorable downwind locations of the
lakes. Forecast snow totals generally range between 3-6", though locally
higher amounts are expected for the UP of Michigan. Some light snow
showers will be possible along the trailing cold front southwest through
the Midwest into the Middle Mississippi Valley, as well as into the
interior Northeast. Snow chances will continue for the Great Lakes into
Thursday as yet another clipper-like system follows quickly on the heels
of Wednesday's system, with some additional moderate accumulations
possible.

Increasing southerly flow today will bring a lingering frontal boundary
over the Gulf back northward towards the western/central Gulf Coast, with
showers and thunderstorms increasing Wednesday evening and into the
overnight hours. Locally heavy downpours will be possible with an isolated
risk of flash flooding. An expanding area of precipitation will spread
northward across the Southeast into the day Thursday, though thunderstorms
and the threat for heavy rainfall/isolated flash flooding will remain in
vicinity of the frontal boundary along the western to central Gulf Coast.
Some wintry precipitation will be possible where colder air is in place
across portions of the Upper Ohio Valley and the southern
Appalachians/Mid-Atlantic into early Friday morning, though this remains
more uncertain at this time.

Much of the central and eastern U.S. will remain below average and chilly
to end the week in this winter-like pattern featuring broad
upper-troughing and repeated cold front passages. Forecast highs generally
range in the 30s and 40s for the Ohio Valley/Northeast and the 40s and 50s
for the Southeast. The next cold front will bring another round of frigid
temperatures to the Plains and Midwest, with highs in the single digits
and teens for the northern Plains Wednesday, and highs in the 20s and 30s
spreading east into the Midwest and south into the southern Plains
Thursday. Morning lows Thursday will be particularly brutal in the
Midwest, bottoming out into the negative teens which may tie/break some
daily records. Conditions will be a bit below average for the Interior
West, with 30s and 40s forecast, and 60s for the Desert Southwest. The
West Coast will see more mild, generally a bit above average conditions,
with highs in the 50s and 60s. 

Putnam


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