US Day 3-7 Hazards Outlook
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
341 PM EST Mon Jan 13 2020
 
Valid Thursday January 16 2020 - Monday January 20 2020
 
Hazards:
- Heavy Precipitation across the Central/Southern Plains, Middle Mississippi Valley and Midwest, 
Thu-Fri, Jan 16-Jan 17.
- Heavy precipitation across portions of the Pacific Northwest and Northeast, Thu-Sun, Jan 16-Jan 
19.
- Heavy snow across portions of California, and the Pacific Northwest, Thu-Fri, Jan 16-Jan 17.
- Heavy snow across portions of the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast, Fri-Sat, Jan 17-Jan 
18.
- Flooding possible across portions of the Central Plains, the Lower Mississippi Valley, the 
Southern Plains, the Middle Mississippi Valley, the Northeast, the Great Lakes, and the Ohio Valley.
- Flooding occurring or imminent across portions of the Lower Mississippi Valley, the Pacific 
Northwest, and the Northern Plains.
- Flooding likely across portions of the Great Lakes, the Middle Mississippi Valley, the Lower 
Mississippi Valley, the Southern Plains, and the Ohio Valley.
- Much below normal temperatures across portions of the Northern Rockies, Northern Great Basin, 
Northern/Central Plains and Upper Mississippi Valley, Thu-Mon, Jan 16-Jan 20.
- High significant wave heights for coastal portions of California and the Pacific Northwest, Thu, 
Jan 16.
- Much below normal temperatures across portions of the Alaska Panhandle and mainland Alaska, 
Thu-Sat, Jan 16-Jan 18.
 
Detailed Summary:

A Low pressure system will dive into the lower 48 through the Pacific Northwest on Thursday before 
redeveloping into a potent mid-latitude cyclone east of the Rockies on Friday. This area of low 
pressure will traverse the Upper Midwest and Northeast before spinning off toward Newfoundland on 
Sunday. Heavy precipitation and Heavy snow at higher elevations is likely for parts of the Pacific 
Northwest and California while heavy precipitation is likely for the Central U.S. as the upper 
level pattern amplifies over the Plains. Heavy snow is likely to subsequently occur over parts of 
the Northern Plains, Upper Midwest and Northeast. Current model trends appear to produce heavy 
precipitation for much of New England since there may be a mix in precipitation type for that area.

Across eastern Washington, into Montana, the Dakotas, Nebraska and the Upper Mississippi Valley a 
bitterly cold arctic air mass will remain parked over the region as surface high pressure over 
Alberta, Canada continues to funnel the cool air in. Temperatures are expected to average up to 20 
to 40 degrees below normal across central and northern Montana on Thursday. The frigid air mass 
should spread southeastward to the Dakotas by Friday and into Saturday. Subzero high temperatures 
are currently expected across northern Montana and into North Dakota, and lows dropping into the 
minus 20s.

Across Alaska, much below normal temperatures are forecast to continue across southeast portions of 
the mainland Interior through Monday then moderate by the middle of next week. Much of the 
Panhandle region should also experience colder than average temperatures through the end of the 
week as the arctic air spills over the Canadian Rockies.

Kebede