US Day 3-7 Hazards Outlook
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
322 PM EST Mon Feb 17 2020
 
Valid Thursday February 20 2020 - Monday February 24 2020
 
Hazards:
- Heavy precipitation across portions of the Pacific Northwest, Sat-Sun, Feb 22-Feb 23.
- Heavy rain across portions of the Southeast, the Lower Mississippi Valley, the Southern Plains, 
and the Tennessee Valley, Sat-Sun, Feb 22-Feb 23.
- Heavy rain across portions of the Southeast, the Mid-Atlantic, the Southern Appalachians, and the 
Tennessee Valley, Sun-Mon, Feb 23-Feb 24.
- Heavy snow across portions of the Pacific Northwest and the Northern Great Basin, Sat-Mon, Feb 
22-Feb 24.
- Heavy snow across portions of the Central Rockies, the Central Great Basin, the Northern Rockies, 
the Northern Great Basin, and the Northern Plains, Sun-Mon, Feb 23-Feb 24.
- Heavy snow across portions of the Central Rockies, the Central Plains, and the Central Great 
Basin, Mon, Feb 24.
- Flooding possible across portions of the Southeast.
- Flooding occurring or imminent across portions of the Lower Mississippi Valley, the Tennessee 
Valley, the Middle Mississippi Valley, the Mid-Atlantic, the Southeast, and the Ohio Valley.
- Flooding likely across portions of the Southeast and the Ohio Valley.
- Much below normal temperatures across portions of the Central Plains, the Northeast, the Central 
Great Basin, the Northern Plains, the Great Lakes, the Central Rockies, the Southern Plains, and 
the Northeast, Thu-Fri, Feb 20-Feb 21.
- Much below normal temperatures across portions of the Middle Mississippi Valley, the Great Lakes, 
the Upper Mississippi Valley, and the Northern Plains, Thu, Feb 20.
- Much below normal temperatures across portions of the Southeast and the Mid-Atlantic, Sat-Sun, 
Feb 22-Feb 23.
- Heavy precipitation across portions of the Alaska Panhandle, Thu-Fri, Feb 20-Feb 21, and portions 
of mainland Alaska, Mon, Feb 24.
- Heavy snow across portions of the Alaska Panhandle and mainland Alaska, Thu-Fri, Feb 20-Feb 21.
- Much below normal temperatures across portions of mainland Alaska, Thu-Sun, Feb 20-Feb 23.
 
Detailed Summary:

A dome of Arctic high pressure will slide across much of the continental U.S. Thursday and Friday 
causing much below normal temperatures to take shape across several regions. Parts of the central 
Rockies, southern High Plains, Midwest, and Northeast will see temperature anomalies range between 
12-20 degrees below normal. Cold temperatures will also reach the Southeast Friday and Saturday 
where sub-freezing temperatures are possible Saturday morning. 

Sticking with wintry hazards, a potent frontal system associated with an amplifying long-wave 
trough will track into the Northwest this weekend. Heavy precipitation is possible along the 
coastal range of Washington and Oregon, including the Olympic mountains. The neighboring Cascades 
have a chance to measure copious amounts of snow with snow totals measured in feet along the 
highest elevations. As the storm system tracks into the Intermountain West early next week, the 
potential for heavy snow will develop in portions of the northern and central Rockies. There is 
uncertainty as to amounts and timing of both arrival and departure but the jet stream pattern does 
currently favor a signal for heavy snow in portions of the Rockies.

To the south, a cut off low is forecast to track through the Southwest this Saturday and into the 
Southern Plains on Sunday. Precipitation will increase in coverage over the South-Central U.S. on 
Sunday and move east into the Southeast on Monday. A swath of heavy rain is possible over the Lower 
Mississippi Valley and into the southern Appalachians. Due to recent heavy rainfall and overly 
saturated soil in these regions, there is the potential for additional flooding early next week.

In Alaska, a strong low pressure system tracking through the eastern Aleutians will contain highly 
anomalous atmospheric moisture content and funnel said moisture into the southern coast and the 
Panhandle. Lower elevation rain and heavy mountain snow is expected in the regions both Thursday 
and Friday. There will be a break in this active weather pattern for a couple days before yet 
another chance for heavy precipitation in south-central Alaska and the eastern Aleutians early next 
week. Meanwhile, western regions will watch an intrusion of Arctic air spill overhead leading to 
much below normal temperatures throughout the weekend.


Mullinax