Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
148 AM EDT Fri Apr 10 2020
Valid 12Z Mon Apr 13 2020 - 12Z Fri Apr 17 2020
...Heavy rain threat continues Monday for parts of the
East/Northeast...
...Overview and Guidance/Predictability Assessment...
Upper ridging should maintain itself through the period initially
across the Northeast Pacific inching into western Canada by the
end of next week. This results in broad cyclonic flow across much
of the CONUS with multiple upper level shortwaves/impulses
rotating through the flow. An initial vigorous upper level
low/deepening surface low will lift from the Great Lakes into
eastern Canada Monday-Tuesday, with a heavy rain threat likely
along the attendant cold front as it pushes through the East.
Models show fairly good agreement with this system, albeit minor
timing differences so a general model compromise should suffice.
A shortwave drops into the north-central U.S. next Wednesday
continuing southward through the Central U.S. late next week.
Models show typical timing/amplitude differences with this system.
The bigger question arises by the middle of next week regarding a
shortwave/possible closed low moving through the eastern Pacific
ridge, and riding down along the West Coast next Thursday into
Friday. At this point, the GFS remains the strongest by far with
this system, though most of the deterministic models at least show
a feature. This feature becomes fairly washed out in the means as
expected given large spread on placement or even existence (a good
number of ECENS members show a feature, which many GEFS members do
not). In addition, even run to run continuity in the deterministic
models is quite poor so forecast confidence is low for this
particular feature.
This cycle of the WPC fronts/pressures progs relied on a mainly
deterministic model blend (ECMWF/GFS/CMC) for days 3-4, trending
towards 50 percent ECENS mean by day 7 (with smaller contributions
from the ECMWF and GFS). This blend at least maintains a semblance
of a Western U.S. system, and also good continuity with the
previous WPC shift.
...Weather/Hazard Highlights...
A deepening surface low will lift from the Great Lakes into
eastern Canada bringing with it a threat for high winds and heavy
rainfall across the Northeast on Monday, with showers and strong
to potentially severe storms from the southern Mid-Atlantic to
northern Florida. Heavy snow is likely on the north side of the
low across parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Monday,
with the low tracking far enough west to limit any potential
winter weather threat across the Northeast.
After Monday, rain should clear most of the Eastern Seaboard as
the cold front pushes into the Atlantic. The exception to this is
across parts of the Gulf Coast/Southeast where showers and storms
may linger into Wednesday associated with weak low pressure. The
western portion of this boundary will become stationary into mid
week before weakening across the Four Corners region with showers
possible along the boundary. A weak cold front dropping into the
Central Plains may bring some light showers to parts of the
region, as well as the favored terrain of the northern/central
Rockies.
Elsewhere, much of the country will be dominated by high pressure,
with reinforcing shots of cold air dropping into the Central U.S..
Daytime highs from the Rockies to the Midwest could be 20 to 30
degrees below normal Monday-Wednesday, before slowly moderating
back towards normal as the airmass shifts into the East. Across
the West, temperatures should trend warmer as upper level ridging
builds. Depending on the evolution of the potential West Coast
system, some rainfall may return to parts of the West late next
week.
Santorelli
Additional 3-7 Day Hazards information can be found on the WPC
medium range hazards chart at:
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/threats/threats.php
WPC medium range 500mb heights, surface systems, weather grids,
quantitative precipitation, winter weather outlook probabilities
and heat indices are at:
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/medr/5dayfcst500_wbg.gif
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/medr/5dayfcst_wbg_conus.gif
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/5km_grids/5km_gridsbody.html
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/day4-7.shtml
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wwd/pwpf_d47/pwpf_medr.php?day=4
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/heat_index.shtml