Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
208 PM EST Sat Nov 21 2020
Valid 12Z Tue Nov 24 2020 - 12Z Sat Nov 28 2020
...Overview and Guidance Evaluation...
Much uncertainty and model spread remain the main theme across the
central to eastern U.S. for the middle of next week as global
models continue to struggle with the details of interaction
between the northern stream energy forecast to move across the
northern Plains and the southern stream energy across the central
Plains. The ECMWF shows run-to-run flip-flop between favoring the
northern and southern stream development while the GFS tends to
favor northern stream development. The 00Z CMC was similar to the
00Z ECMWF idea of favoring southern stream development. The
latest 12Z guidance including the GFS and the UKMet now favor the
southern stream development. The WPC medium range product suite
was derived from blending the 06 UTC GFS/GEFS mean, the 00 UTC
ECMWF/ECMWF ensemble mean together with a smaller portion from the
CMC. This yielded a solution in line with recent guidance trends
and continuity.
...Sensible Weather and Hazards...
There is a decent guidance signal that a separated southern stream
shortwave trough/low aloft and surface low pressure system will
produce a swath of moderate to locally heavy precipitation from
the southern Plains/mid-lower MS Valley Tue-Wed before reaching
the East Coast on Thu with decreasing intensity. Farther north,
moderate wintry precipitation including some snow will also be
possible this period from the upper Midwest, the upper Great
Lakes, and across northern New England under more northern stream
system influence.
Over the Northwest, it remains the case that progressive but
energetic flow aloft will deliver another round of unsettled
weather through midweek next week as a series of fronts
approach/reach the region. Persistent rain and higher elevation
snow are expected with highest totals over Coastal and Cascade
Ranges and a secondary maximum into the Rockies. The interior
section of the Northwest should catch a break late next week
before the next surge of moisture reaches northwestern Washington.
The supporting trough energies aloft early next week may be
followed by more flow separated/amplified systems mid-later next
week that could dig organized precipitation into the Great Basin
toward the central to southern Rockies. Meanwhile, it appears
that return moisture from the Gulf of Mexico will promote enhanced
rainfall later next week across the Deep South.
Kong/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