Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
241 AM EDT Wed Apr 05 2023
Valid 12Z Sat Apr 08 2023 - 12Z Wed Apr 12 2023
...Overview and Guidance/Predictability Assessment...
The upper level pattern will transition to one that is more zonal
with a series of inherently low predictable northern and southern
stream shortwave troughs and impulses later this week before
re-amplifying with increasing uncertainty next week. Guidance run
to run continuity has not been stellar with the numerous flow
embedded systems. Later period East Pacific to West Coast upper
trough amplification and downstream upper ridge building over the
west-central U.S. has been a fairly consistent guidance theme, but
the extent of northern and stream interaction/upper trough
amplification over the East and low genesis has varied, albeit
with a recent guidance trend away from stream phasing aloft. The
12 UTC ECMWF was the last model to follow this emerging trend.
Overall, the WPC medium range product suite was primarily derived
from a more diverse than usual blend of the 18 UTC GFS/GEFS mean,
the 12 UTC ECMWF/UKMET/Canadian and the 01 UTC National Blend of
Models. Applied marginally more blend weighting to the models for
this weekend before shifting focus strongly/increasingly to the
more compatible and run to run stable ensemble means by next week
to better mitigate system differences. 00 UTC guidance remains
overall in line.
...Weather/Hazards Highlights...
A leading front will track offshore and settle over the Atlantic
Ocean and back over the Gulf of Mexico through this period. The
experimental Day 4 WPC Excessive Rainfall Outlook (ERO) introduces
a "Marginal" threat area across parts of the Southeast Saturday
given recent wetter guidance trends as the passage of impulse
energy aloft and frontal waves now seems more likely to organize
activity. The proximity of the wavy front should support some
additional precipitation across the Southeast Sunday, lingering
mainly over Florida into early next week with renewed low
developments. Northern stream system progression early-mid next
week offers modest precipitation chances, but digs trailing cold
fronts down into the central and eastern states. Meanwhile,
activity across the Southeast has a growing signal for a separated
southern stream upper trough/low with potential for moderate
coastal/maritime low developments out over the western Atlantic,
but ample uncertainties remain.
Well upstream as the flow becomes more zonal, multiple shortwaves
will move onshore the West Coast. This favors moderate
precipitation across the Pacific Northwest/northern California
this weekend along with modest terrain snows further inland across
the Northwest. This pattern will transition into early next week
with the expected amplification of an eastern Pacific upper trough
and a downstream/warming upper ridge across the West Coast. A slow
eastward translation of the trough across the West Coast early-mid
next week would reinvigorate wet flow for the Northwest as the
eastward slide of the ridge shifts warmth across the West/Rockies
to the Plains where some record values may become possible.
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