Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
253 AM EDT Fri Nov 04 2022
Valid 12Z Mon Nov 07 2022 - 12Z Fri Nov 11 2022
...Chilly pattern over the West with significant rain/mountain
snow over some areas...
...Overview...
The medium range period begins Monday with an upper low over the
Pacific Northwest which should amplify further and dive southward
through about Wednesday before it shifts inland towards the
northern Rockies/High Plains in response to another possible
closed low off the Northwest coast late next week. This brings a
period of widespread moderate to heavy rain/snow to much of the
Western and Southwestern U.S. as well as an overall chilly
temperature pattern. Meanwhile, upper level ridging should build
over the East while to the south, an area of low pressure near the
Bahamas next week looks to merge with energy over the eastern
Gulf possibly spreading modest rainfall into some areas near the
East Coast.
...Guidance and Predictability Assessment...
The latest guidance shows overall good agreement through about day
5 with an amplifying trough over the West, amplifying ridging over
the East/South, and some sort of subtropical feature near
Florida/the Bahamas. There remain some lingering differences in
the details of the Western trough and the Southeast U.S. low, but
a blend of the deterministic solutions seemed to provide a good
starting point while maintaining good continuity with the previous
WPC forecast. After day 5/Wednesday, the GFS and ECMWF begin to
shift the upper low inland over the northern Rockies/High Plains
in response to another amplified trough dropping into the
northeast Pacific/south of the Aleutians. The 12z/Nov 3 CMC on the
other hand, was much more blocked with stronger ridging off the
Pacific Northwest into Western Canada resulting in a slower/deeper
troughing over the West with little to no movement eastward. A
look at the ensembles also did show more support for the GFS/ECMWF
solution rather than the deeper/blockier 12z CMC. As such, the WPC
forecast trended towards a blend of the ensemble means with the
deterministic GFS and ECMWF. A note though that the latest 00z CMC
run (available after forecast issuance time) did trend east and
more in line with the GFS and ECMWF.
Near Florida, uncertainty increases greatly regarding interaction
of an upper low in the eastern Gulf and some sort of likely
subtropical low pressure area near the Bahamas. The models suggest
these features should phase together around mid next week, but the
ECMWF shows this feature more influenced by the approaching trough
into the north-central U.S. pulling the system up the East Coast.
The GFS and CMC however, keep the feature seperate and lingering
over the eastern Gulf or Florida. The WPC forecast took a more
conservative approach compared to the ECMWF (which would bring
heavy rainfall much farther north into the Mid-Atlantic region)
with a blend more towards the ensemble means and the GFS.
...Weather/Hazard Highlights...
The West will see a broad area of rain and higher elevation snow
during the period as the upper trough amplifies down the coast and
eventually moves inland. Beginning Monday (as this event should
begin this weekend during the now short range period), the highest
precipitation totals should extend from the coastal ranges and
Sierra Nevada in California through the Great Basin and
north-central/central Rockies. Areas across the Pacific Northwest
should dry out by early to midweek. Moisture/energy ejecting from
the western trough may spread one or more areas of precipitation
across the northern tier during the first half of next week, with
more widespread rain (or snow depending on system strength) across
parts of the northern Plains/Upper Midwest late week as the main
trough/low moves inland. A weakening and stalling/retreating front
may produce some light rainfall over parts of the East into the
southern Plains early in the period as moisture associated with
the Bahamas system tracking toward Florida/southeastern coast may
spread into parts of the East Tuesday onward. Details of coverage
and totals are still fairly uncertain at this time, but some areas
of locally moderate to heavy rainfall may be possible.
Much below normal temperatures are expected to expand across the
West through much of next week associated with the deepening upper
trough. The coldest air will likely extend from western Canada
into Montana with recent forecasts consistently showing highs in
that up to 20-40F below normal Monday-Thursday, equating to
daytime highs in some places in the teens and single digits (and
below zero overnight lows). Some locations over the West may see
daily records for cold highs Monday-Wednesday. In contrast, well
above normal temperatures will prevail over much of the East and
at times over the Plains. The East will see temperatures 10-25F
above normal especially on Monday when widespread daily records
for highs and/or warm lows are possible. Highs will moderate near
the East Coast thereafter with increasing clouds/moisture but lows
will remain unseasonably warm. Tuesday-Wednesday should be the
warmest days for the central-southern Plains with readings 10-20F
or so above normal.
Santorelli
Additional 3-7 Day Hazard information can be found on the WPC
medium range hazards outlook chart at:
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/threats/threats.php
WPC medium range 500mb heights, surface systems, weather grids,
quantitative precipitation, experimental excessive rainfall
outlook, 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/#page=ero
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/wwd/pwpf_d47/pwpf_medr.php?day=4
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/heat_index.shtml