Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
300 AM EST Wed Mar 02 2022

Valid 12Z Wed Mar 02 2022 - 12Z Fri Mar 04 2022

...Rain/snow across the Pacific Northwest slowly wanes as increasingly
unsettled weather works its way into California by Friday morning...

...Above normal temperatures from parts of the West expanding to the
eastern U.S. will be contrasted with arctic air and periods of light snow
across the northern tier...

Over the next couple of days, an arctic air mass engulfing much of Canada
is forecast to gradually filter southward into the northern and
northeastern U.S. while a developing low pressure system will likely shift
the unsettled weather southward from the Pacific Northwest into California
by Friday morning.  In the mean time, rain will be heaviest today across
western Oregon as a weakening low pressure system offshore will continue
to direct moisture toward the coast.  Lighter precipitation is expected to
persist farther north across Washington today as the core of the moisture
plume penetrates further inland through northern Idaho and northwestern
Montana where wet snow is forecast to be heaviest near the arctic frontal
boundary in the mountainous terrain.  Farther east, periods of light snow
are expected across the northern Plains, Great Lakes, and the Northeast
through the next couple of days as low pressure waves form along the 
arctic front and move rapidly toward the east.  Up to 6 inches of snow 
is forecast near the Canadian border of the northern High Plains
as well as areas downwind from the lower Great Lakes through Friday
morning.

In contrast with the wintry conditions across the norther tier,
Spring-like temperatures are in store for the central Plains today as
afternoon temperatures are forecast to climb well up into the 70s, which
are nearly 30 above normal for early March.  A few daily high temperature
records could be established.  The aforementioned arctic air mass will
work further south into the central Plains on Thursday.  Meanwhile, a cold
upper trough off the West Coast is forecast to approach California.  This
system will bring increasingly unsettled weather into California with
colder temperatures by Friday morning as a low pressure is forecast to
develop.

Kong


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