Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
213 AM EST Fri Mar 10 2023
Valid 12Z Mon Mar 13 2023 - 12Z Fri Mar 17 2023
...Atmospheric river fueled excessive rainfall/flooding threat for
the West Coast, particularly California, through early to mid next
week along with heavy snows threats from the Cascades and Sierra
inland across the Intermountain West/Rockies to extend into late
next week...
...Nor'easter wind/wave threat early-mid next week along with
Great Lakes through Northeast heavy snows and coastal
rain/flooding threats...
...Overview...
A deepening coastal storm/Nor'easter set to develop off the
Mid-Atlantic to New England coasts will likely present a impactful
wind/wave threat early-mid next week along with Great Lakes
through Northeast heavy snows and maritime to coastal
rain/flooding threats. Meanwhile, the anomolously wet winter
pattern will continue for the West Coast through early-mid next
week with a series of frontal systems focusing deep layered and
long fetch moisture plumes/atmospheric rivers and likely causing
continued flooding concerns. The timeframe around Monday-Tuesday
looks to see the highest chances in the medium range period for
precipitation causing flooding. There is also a concurrent and
prolonged heavy snow threats from the Cascades and Sierra inland
across the Intermountain West/Rockies to extend into late next
week with overall system translation. A fairly progressive, but
embedded system uncertain, pattern downstream in the upper levels
with surface based low pressure/frontal systems could lead to
emerging precipitation across the eastern Plains/Mississippi
Valley states and vicinity into mid-later next week, with some
snow/ice in the northern tier and Gulf moisture/instability return
enhanced rain and thunderstorms to the South.
...Guidance/Predictability Assessment...
A composite blend of best clustered guidance from the 18 UTC GFS,
12 UTC ECMWF/Canadian along with the 01 UTC National Blend of
Models and WPC continuity seems to offer a good forecast basis for
Monday into Tuesday across a stormy nation in a pattern with
average predictability. Forecast spread and uncertainty increases
rapidly into next midweek and onward with chaotic system tracks
and evolutions from the Pacific and Canada into the lower 48 in
both the deterministic models and ensembles with the ECMWF/ECMWF
ensembles and GFS/Canadian and GEFS/NAEFS ensembles providing at
least two main and disparate solution camps, but less than stellar
run to run continuity. Latest 00 UTC guidance still offers quite
varied solutions. Opted to blend ensemble means for this uncertain
period to mitigate some of the variance and maintain as much WPC
product continuity as reasonable.
...Weather/Hazards Highlights...
An active pattern across the West Coast will persist from the
short range period into the medium range period. Model guidance
indicates a relative break over the weekend in the heaviest
totals. The pattern likely rejuvinates through early-mid next week
as another atmospheric river looks to focus into the West Coast,
despite some continued model variations in the timing and
placement of heaviest rain. Highest moisture anomalies and
precipitation forecast is expected to steadily shift from
southwest Oregon through southern California mainly Monday and
Tuesday. This is leading to "Slight Risk" issuances across the
region in the WPC experimental Day 4/5 Excessive Rainfall Outlook
(ERO). Impacts of this precipitation event could be dependent on
what issues and hazards evolve in the short range period, but
could include more flooding. Rounds of precipitation including
heavy terrain focusing snows could impact the Interior West to
Rockies with multi-faceted system inland translation all next
week. Later downstream, there may be some moisture/instability
return to the eastern Plains and Mississippi Valley mid-later next
week, but this remains quite uncertain. Uncertain northern stream
energy component may also produce modest Upper Midwest snows.
Meanwhile, there is a growing guidance signal that as low pressure
systems likely consolidate into a deepening coastal
storm/Nor'easter Monday into Tuesday, enhanced snow may spread
into parts of the Appalachians/northern Mid-Atlantic/Northeast.
Confidence is increasing that portions of those areas should see
enhanced snow, but amounts and type of the precipitation will be
highly dependent on the exact low track, so the details will
continue to be refined with time. There is also seems to be a risk
for enhanced winds/waves along with a "marginal" Northeast coastal
rain/flooding threat given system potential intensity. Expect cold
flow in the wake of the system may also yield some lake effect
snows, with windy flow lingering into Wednesday/Thursday.
Schichtel
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