Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 318 PM EST Wed Dec 01 2021 Valid 00Z Thu Dec 02 2021 - 00Z Sat Dec 04 2021 ...Widespread record breaking temperatures likely from Northwest into Great Plains through Thursday; Elevated Fire Weather Risk for Southern California... ...Lingering rain over the Pacific Northwest... ...Light rain and snow showers over portions of the Great Lakes and Northeast through midweek... High pressure dominance in the West will contribute to record breaking mild weather across the western half of the Lower 48. Unseasonably warm temperatures 25-30 degrees above normal (translating to highs in the 60's and 70's) will threaten high temperature records this afternoon over the West and Central U.S. as an anomalously strong upper-ridge over the Great Basin expands toward the Rockies. Later today, many overnight low temperature records could fall over the Northern Rockies, down through the Front Range and into the Northern/Central Plains. Another shot of record breaking warmth will expand into the Southern Plains tomorrow, with some locations flirting with 80 degree highs as height rises and warm southwesterly flow set in. Locations east of the Mississippi River will miss out on record breaking warmth, but will enter a general warming trend through Friday before the next cold front moderates temperatures to around seasonal. The warm weather working with strong winds may exasperate fire weather conditions over portions of East-Central Montana and Southern California, where the Storm Prediction Center highlights an Elevated Fire Weather risk today. Fire aside, strong downslope winds could produce hazardous wind gusts up to 90 mph along the Rocky Mountain Front today in Montana, where High Wind Warning is in effect. Over Northwest Washington, the Atmospheric River event has largely ended, and should completely subside by tomorrow. Meanwhile, a strengthening Clipper system will produce another round of light rain and snow for the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Central Appalachians and Northeast over the next couple of days. In general, most of the precipitation over the CONUS will remain relegated to the northern third of the U.S. as the upper-level troughing pattern is confined to southern Canada. However, rain and snow totals will remain negligible over the next 48 hours, with some local upslope enhancement possible over the Adirondacks and Vermont/New Hampshire mountains. Some rain shower activity may develop as far south as the Ohio Valley and the Central Appalachians as a warm front lifts through the region this afternoon. Asherman/Kebede Graphics are available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php