Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
256 AM EST Fri Jan 07 2022

Valid 12Z Fri Jan 07 2022 - 12Z Sun Jan 09 2022

...Quick hitting Nor'easter to bring disruptive snowfall to parts of the
Northeast and New England today...

...Heavy mountain snow and gusty winds to impact the Pacific Northwest and
Northern Rockies to end the workweek...

...Dangerously cold temperatures located throughout the Northern Plains
and Midwest this morning to briefly retreat on Saturday, before the next
surge of arctic air enters the region on Sunday...

An area of low pressure currently off the Mid-Atlantic coastline is
forecast to zip northeastward today and exit into the Canadian Maritimes
by tonight. Snowfall will quickly come to an end early this morning over
the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with moderate-to-heavy snow remaining a
possibility into the afternoon hours across coastal New England. Total
snowfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches are expected over eastern Connecticut,
Rhode Island, eastern Massachusetts, and coastal sections of Maine.
Locally higher amounts are possible under narrow intense bands of snow,
which can also create dangerous travel conditions. Winter Storm Warnings
and Winter Weather Advisories are in effect. Immediately behind this
system, cold and blustery conditions are expected throughout the Great
Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast. With the Great Lakes still mostly free
of ice, scattered lake effect snow bands are likely to form and extend
into the Interior Northeast through tonight.

After a stretch of very active and wintry weather across the Northwest,
one final surge of moisture is forecast to impact the region this morning
while also dumping heavy mountain snow across the Northern Rockies.
Additional snowfall amounts up to 1-2 feet are possible throughout the
high terrain, which will exacerbate the already growing concerns for
avalanches. Winter Storm and Avalanche Warnings are in effect.
Additionally, as a cold front traverses the region, gusty winds up to 60
mph are expected throughout the Northwest, Northern Great Basin, and
Northern Rockies today. These potent wind gusts could lead to blowing and
drifting snow over parts of northwestern Montana, where Blizzard Warnings
are in effect. The weather pattern should drastically quiet down by
Saturday across this part of the Nation.

Otherwise, a bitterly cold airmass is centered over the north-central U.S.
this morning as subzero temperatures are felt as far south as central
Illinois. Combined with a light breeze, widespread wind chill values
across the Northern Plains and Midwest are in the minus 20s as residents
start off their Friday. As a strong area of high pressure slides to the
East Coast on Saturday, it will usher in warm southerly winds to the
Central U.S. on Saturday. This will help return temperatures to slightly
above average. However, this brief warm up will be short-lived as another
arctic cold front surges southward across the Northern Plains Saturday
afternoon and enters the Midwest by Sunday morning. Light rain showers and
pockets of freezing rain/drizzle are possible along and ahead of this cold
front. The best chances for light freezing rain exist from the
Mid-Mississippi Valley and Midwest on Saturday to the northern
Mid-Atlantic by Sunday morning. Farther south, the aforementioned cold
front may spark scattered thunderstorms over the Lower Mississippi Valley
as it clashes with a warm and moist airmass flowing out of the Gulf of
Mexico. A few thunderstorms could turn severe over southeast Texas, with
isolated tornadoes and damaging wind gusts the main concern. A few areas
of heavy rain may also produce isolated flooding concerns throughout the
Mid-South on Saturday as precipitation falls over areas that have already
experienced a wet start to the year.

Snell


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