Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
300 AM EST Mon Feb 28 2022

Valid 12Z Mon Feb 28 2022 - 12Z Wed Mar 02 2022

...Heavy rain and snow melt to contribute to increasing flooding concerns
across portions of the Pacific Northwest...

...Above normal temperatures will expand eastward into the eastern U.S.
but cold conditions with periods of light snow remain across the northern
tier...

A series of Pacific low pressure systems are expected to bring more
unsettled weather from the Pacific Northwest into the northern Rockies
through at least the next couple of days.  The high moisture content ahead
of the latest system has begun to produce heavy precipitation across
northwestern Washington.  Heavy rain near the coast and heavy snow across
the high elevations are expected to continue through today and into
tonight before a gradual lessening trend sets in by early on Tuesday.  As
the low pressure system edges closer to the coast, milder air from the
Pacific is forecast progress northward through the Pacific Northwest,
leading to a gradual increase of snow levels in the mountains.  The
precipitation is expected to become less intense on Tuesday but will
likely continue into Wednesday morning.  Much of the precipitation should
change over to rain by Tuesday except perhaps near the highest peaks near
the Canadian border.  As snow levels increase, the combination of heavy
rain along with melting snow may raise flooding concerns in the coming
days across portions of the Northwest.

Elsewhere across the western U.S., high pressure and dry conditions are
forecast to continue through the early part of the week with gusty Santa
Ana winds at times.  Offshore winds will promote warm afternoons that
could challenge record high temperatures at a few locations today and
Tuesday.

Across the central and eastern U.S., a fast-moving system is expected to
bring mainly light snow, mixing with rain during the day, from eastern
North Dakota to the upper Great Lakes today.  By Tuesday into Tuesday
night, the system will likely bring generally light snow accumulations
across the interior Northeast.  Meanwhile, another clipper system is
forecast to deliver some additional light snow and mixed precipitation
across the northern Great Plains to the upper Great Lakes on Tuesday. 
South of the these systems, temperatures are forecast to warm
considerably, with above to well-above normal temperatures expanding
across the Plains and Midwest into midweek.  High temperatures are
forecast to approach 80 degrees at the warmest spots.

Following a frigid start to the week behind an arctic front that has
quickly exited the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic early today,
temperatures are forecast to moderate on Tuesday and Wednesday across much
of the eastern U.S. as the warm air in the Plains begins to expand toward
the east.  Light rain will exit northern Florida and the southeast U.S.
coast this morning as a cold front slides more quickly offshore.

Kong/Pereira


Graphics are available at
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php