Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
241 AM EST Fri Nov 24 2023

Valid 12Z Fri Nov 24 2023 - 12Z Sun Nov 26 2023

...Heavy snow and gusty winds will foster hazardous travel conditions for
portions of the northern and central Rockies into the central Plains this
holiday weekend...

...Temperatures will be below average for most of the country this
weekend, with the greatest anomalies and some frigid conditions in the
central Plains...

A winter storm will continue to push eastward from the Intermountain West
into the central Plains heading into the holiday weekend bringing a swath
of moderate to heavy snow. Snowfall is forecast from the eastern Great
Basin into the central Rockies and portions of the central High Plains,
particularly western Nebraska, on Friday, with the focus shifting into
Kansas Saturday. Snowfall totals of 4-6" are forecast from western
Nebraska into western and central Kansas, with locally higher amounts
possible. A wintry mix will stretch from the Texas Panhandle northeast
through northern Oklahoma into eastern Kansas and Missouri, with some
light snow accumulations possible for the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles.
Some heavier totals are forecast for the Wasatch and central Rockies,
particularly in southwest Colorado, where 12-18" are expected. Gusty winds
and snow rates of 1"/hr at times will lead to hazardous travel conditions,
especially for portions of western and central Kansas on Saturday. The
snow should begin to taper off for the mountains by Saturday morning and
for the Central Plains by Saturday evening. Other than some showers and
thunderstorms from eastern Texas into the Lower Mississippi Valley on
Saturday, the rest of the country will be mostly dry.

The other story this weekend will be below average temperatures for most
of the country following a cold front passage, with the greatest anomalies
and some frigid conditions in the central Plains. High temperatures Friday
and Saturday across much of the Central Plains will be in the 20s and 30s,
with morning lows dropping into the teens. Breezy winds will lead to
morning wind chills around and even below 0 in some cases. While not quite
as frigid, temperatures will also be running below average in the eastern
U.S., with highs in the 20s and 30s for the Great Lakes and Interior
Northeast, 30s and 40s for the Midwest and New England, and 40s and 50s
for the Mid-Atlantic into the Carolinas. The South will be warmer and
closer to average, with mostly 60s expected. Highs will be running below
average across much of the Interior West as well, with 30s and 40s for the
Northern/Central Rockies, Great Basin, and Four Corners Region, and into
the 60s for the Desert Southwest. Temperatures will be closer to average
for the West Coast, with highs in the 40s and 50s for the Pacific
Northwest/northern California and 60s into central and southern
California. However, morning lows will be a concern for the San Joaquin
Valley through the weekend as temperatures drop to near or below freezing.

Putnam


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