Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
259 PM EST Sun Dec 31 2023

Valid 00Z Mon Jan 01 2024 - 00Z Wed Jan 03 2024

...Quiet and generally mild pattern across the country will mean minimal
weather-related disruptions for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day
festivities...

...A weak clipper-type low center will bring a light wintry mix to parts
of the Ohio Valley, Central Appalachians, and Mid-Atlantic...

...Unsettled weather to arrive across California and portions of the South
by late Tuesday...

Little to no precipitation is expected for most of the country as we ring
in 2024 tonight and head through New Year's Day, and temperatures for this
time of the year will be rather mild for many areas given the current
pattern that is in place. Much of the cold air that could be coming south
into the nation this time of the year remains focused well to the north
across Canada, and this will continue to result in a lack of wintry
weather going into the start of 2024. Over the next couple of days,
temperatures will be as much as 10 to 20 degrees above average for
portions of the Intermountain West, Northern Plains, Upper Midwest, and
the Great Lakes.

Relatively cooler temperatures though will be noted across areas of the
Ohio Valley, Mid-South and the Southern Plains in behind a cold front that
will be traversing this region. A weak clipper-type low center attached to
this cold front will be crossing parts of the Upper Ohio Valley and
heading through the Central Appalachians through tonight, and then the
Mid-Atlantic region on New Year's Day. Just enough cold air will be in
place for this weak system to produce a light wintry mix, and some
accumulating snowfall is expected across mainly the higher terrain of the
Central Appalachians where a few inches of snow is expected.

By late Tuesday, the pattern will begin to gradually become more active as
two separate storm systems begin to impact the country. One will be across
California as a Pacific cold front offshore approaches the region and
begins to bring in a new surge of moisture along with an axis of moderate
to locally heavy rain. The second area of interest will across parts of
the South, with an emphasis on the western Gulf Coast region and Lower
Mississippi Valley, as low pressure organizing near the Lower Rio Grande
Valley begins to tap into Gulf moisture which will allow for areas of
moderate to locally heavy rain, possibly a few thunderstorms, to develop
and begin lifting northeast across the region.

Orrison


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