Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
102 AM EST Mon Feb 24 2020
Valid 12Z Thu Feb 27 2020 - 12Z Mon Mar 02 2020
...Overview and Guidance/Predictability Assessment...
The western ridge and eastern trough will shift eastward over the
weekend in a rather quiet pattern. Exiting system at the short
range/medium range interface (Thu) will continue to slowly move
into Quebec and Atlantic Canada Fri-Sat. A Pacific system will
move into WA/OR early this weekend and continue southeastward and
eastward, perhaps in two pieces, to then re-emerge over the Plains
by the start of next week. The models generally clustered well
with the ensemble means, but favored the 18Z/12Z GFS and 12Z ECMWF
with minority weighting of the Canadian for the first few days.
Trended toward about a 50% ensemble weighting by next Sun/Mon with
continued uncertainty in the speed/depth of the incoming Pacific
upper trough and surface front(s) and how they evolve.
...Weather/Hazard Highlights...
Wrap-around flow over the Great Lakes will support a several day
period of snow focused downwind of Lakes Ontario and Erie.
Accumulations could be significant for the Tug Hill Plateau.
Temperatures will trend cooler behind the system, generally for a
couple days, before rebounding back toward average by next
Sun/Mon. Some record lows (or low maxes) may be approached on
Saturday as the core of the cold slides into the East Coast.
By contrast, the West will see generally mild/warm days Thu-Sat
with some potential record highs in California. Dry conditions on
Thursday and into Friday will be replaced by increasing coverage
of generally light rain/snow. Temperatures will trend cooler as
the system moves in, pushing the milder air east of the Rockies
next week.
Fracasso
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