US Day 3-7 Hazards Outlook
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
221 PM EST Fri Jan 03 2020
 
Valid Monday January 06 2020 - Friday January 10 2020
 
Hazards:
- Heavy precipitation across portions of the Pacific Northwest and the Northern Great Basin, 
Mon-Tue, Jan 6-Jan 7.
- Heavy rain across portions of the Lower Mississippi Valley, the Tennessee Valley, the Middle 
Mississippi Valley, the Southeast, the Southern Plains, and the Ohio Valley, Fri, Jan 10.
- Heavy snow across portions of the Northeast, Wed, Jan 8.
- Flooding possible across portions of the Southeast and the Tennessee Valley.
- Flooding occurring or imminent across portions of the Northern Plains.
- Flooding likely across portions of the Southeast, the Lower Mississippi Valley, and the Tennessee 
Valley.
- High winds across portions of the Northern/Central Plains, and the Northern/Central Rockies, 
Mon-Tue, Jan 6-Jan 7.
- Much below normal temperatures across portions of mainland Alaska, Mon-Tue, Jan 6-Jan 7.
 
Detailed Summary:

A progressive and fairly active weather pattern will predominate across the lower 48 during this 
medium range period (January 6-10).  Starting in the Pacific Northwest, a front over the Eastern 
Pacific will be pushing onshore Wednesday and move inland to Northern High Plains across parts of 
the Great Basin into parts of Northern California.  A plume of moisture will stream moisture into 
the Pacific Northwest on Monday into Tuesday.  A period of moderate to locally heavy precipitation 
along and west of the Cascades from Northern Oregon through Washington. Rain is expected along the 
coast and in the valleys, with snow at the higher elevations. 

Farther east over the Northern/Central Rockies and Plains, the main concern will be high winds.  A 
strong pressure gradient associated with high pressure over the interior Pacific Northwest/Northern 
California into parts of the Great Basin/Northern Rockies and low pressure over the South-Central 
California and another area of low pressure off the Northwest Coast.  Post-frontal downslope flow 
enhanced by an amplifying trough crossing the Northern Intermountain region will support locally 
high winds over South-Central Montana and Northern Wyoming Monday through Tuesday, with a second 
area of elevated winds possible over the Southeastern quarter of Wyoming on Monday and Tuesday, 
too.  Sustained winds of 30-40 mph are expected, with gusts over 50 mph possible. 

Over New England, there are indications from several model solutions that a low forming along or 
just off the Mid-Atlantic coast will deepen as it moves up along the Northeast coast on Wednesday.  
An area of heavy snow hazard is introduced over parts of the Northeast on Wednesday. 

Late in the period, Gulf of Mexico moisture is forecast to begin streaming northward ahead of 
developing cold front in the Central U.S. producing widespread showers and isolated thundershowers 
on Friday in this moist air mass as the front progresses eastward.  It's a little too early to pin 
down exactly where the heaviest rain may fall, but a general model consensus right now points to 
the lower-mid Mississippi Valley. This area may shift and/or expand in response to updated guidance 
during the next few days.

Much of Alaska will face below normal temperatures for a good part of this medium range period. The 
core of the most anomalously cold air is expected to be across the Southwest and Central mainland, 
where temperatures during the early-mid part of next week will range from 20-35 degrees below 
normal.  Some moderation of this air mass will take place during the latter part of next week.

Ziegenfelder