US Day 3-7 Hazards Outlook
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
215 PM EST Wed Jan 01 2020
 
Valid Saturday January 04 2020 - Wednesday January 08 2020
 
Hazards:
- Heavy precipitation across portions of the Pacific Northwest and the Northern Great Basin, 
Sat-Sun, Jan 4-Jan 5and Mon-Tue, Jan 6-Jan 7.
- Flooding occurring or imminent across portions of the Northern Plains.
- Flooding likely across portions of the Great Lakes.
- High winds across portions of the Central Rockies, the Central Plains, the Northern Plains, and 
the Northern Rockies, Sat-Sun, Jan 4-Jan 5.
- High winds across portions of the Southern Appalachians, the Mid-Atlantic, the Central 
Appalachians, and the Ohio Valley, Sun, Jan 5.
- Much below normal temperatures across portions of mainland Alaska, Sat-Wed, Jan 4-Jan 8.
 
Detailed Summary:

Across the Eastern U.S. at the beginning of the medium range period (Saturday), a strengthening low 
pressure system is forecast to be located over the Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley. The heavy rain 
threat is expected to have ended across the Southeast by this time, but showers will continue 
across the East to start the weekend. Snow will be possible on the northwestern edge of the 
precipitation shield across the Lower Great Lakes and Northeast Saturday and Sunday, but snowfall 
and overall precipitation amounts appear low enough to exclude a highlighted area on the hazards 
chart today. As this system strengthens and races off the New England Coast on Sunday, high winds 
are possible across the Mid-Atlantic, central and southern Appalachians. Wind gusts could approach 
50 mph in some areas, bringing the risk of isolated tree damage. Meanwhile, high winds will also be 
a concern on Saturday and Sunday across the Northern Plains and Rockies. A potent cold front is 
forecast to cross the region and combined with downslope winds, widespread gusts over 50 mph will 
be possible over the Northern High Plains.

Active weather will continue across the Northwest through the beginning of next week. Heavy rain 
and mountain snow will be the main hazards, with 3 to 6 inches of total precipitation possible by 
Tuesday. Across the central and eastern U.S. between Monday and Wednesday, there continues to be a 
large spread of possibilities as upper-level energy enters from the Northwest. A few of these 
possibilities include impactful winter weather, but the current thinking is that this pattern 
supports faster and a more progressive storm motion, which would limit precipitation impacts. 
Either way, high uncertainty led to no hazards in today's graphic for this time frame. 

Alaska is forecast to endure a less active pattern during this time frame, but temperatures 20 to 
40 degrees below average across the southwest and central mainland warranted a highlighted area on 
the hazards chart. These temperature anomalies equate to lows around minus 30 degrees.


Snell