Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
158 AM EST Fri Nov 20 2020
Valid 12Z Mon Nov 23 2020 - 12Z Fri Nov 27 2020
...Overview and Guidance Evaluation...
The WPC medium range product suite was primarily derived from a
composite blend of reasonably well clustered guidance from the 18
UTC GFS and 12 UTC ECMWF/Canadian days 3-4 (Mon-Tue) in a period
of above normal overall predictability.
Replaced the GFS in this composite with the 12 UTC ECMWF ensemble
mean days 5-7. The ECMWF/Canadian and ECMWF ensemble mean seem
reasonably well clustered days 5-7. The 18 UTC GFS/GEFS mean
trended slower than previous runs overall, but still seemed too
progressive/weak with southern stream upper level shortwave
troughing from the Mid-South through the East Coast and also
upstream with digging upper trough energies into the West. The 00
UTC GFS/GEFS mean trended toward the WPC composite blend and the
00 UTC ECMWF remains in line, bolstering forecast confidence. The
12/00 UTC UKMET and 00 UTC Canadian are not as in line however, so
there are still some uncertainties to work out in the coming days.
...Sensible Weather and Hazards...
A lead wave tracking northeastward from the OH Valley into the
Northeast Mon will produce a swath of organized precipitation.
Most of the precipitation should fall as rain, but parts of the
moisture shield's northern periphery should contain some snow and
wintry mix. For Tue-Thu, there is an increasing signal for a
separated southern stream shortwave trough/low aloft and surface
low pressure system to produce an episode of meaningful
precipitation from the Southern Rockies/Plains northeastward
through the East, Expect some snow will be possible this period
from the upper Midwest to the upper Great Lakes under more
northern stream impulse influence.
Over the Northwest, it remains the case that progressive but
energetic flow aloft will promote a wet period as a series of
fronts approach/reach the region. There is good continuity for
persistence of rain and higher elevation snow with highest totals
over Coastal and Cascade Ranges and a secondary maximum into the
Rockies. The supporting trough energies aloft early next weak may
be followed by more flow separated/amplified systems mid-later
next week that could dig organized precipitation into California,
the Great Basin and then the Southwest.
Schichtel
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