Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
300 PM EST Tue Dec 02 2025

Valid 00Z Wed Dec 03 2025 - 00Z Fri Dec 05 2025

...A rapidly intensifying coastal storm will bring additional moderate to
heavy snow across interior New England through tonight...

...A surge of arctic air is forecast to challenge low temperature records
over the Midwest Thursday...

...Snow showers linger across the Great Lakes and Great Basin/Rockies as
moderate to heavy rain emerges along the western to central Gulf Coast...

The first winter-storm of the season is well under way across interior New
England this afternoon with widespread moderate and heavy snow across the
region.  Meanwhile, a low pressure system is rapidly intensifying just off
the Mid-Atlantic.  This coastal storm will lift additional moisture coming
from the Atlantic along a sharp coastal front and then dump the moisture
as snow over interior New England through tonight before ending Wednesday
morning.  Snowfall totals of generally 5 to 10 inches are expected from
central New England to Downeast Maine with isolated 12 inches possible. 
Blustery northwesterly winds early Wednesday morning across the Northeast
will gradually subside during the day as the coastal storm will exit in a
hurry.  Clearing skies and chilly weather will prevail from the South to
the East Coast behind the storm on Wednesday, and will continue into
Thursday for the East Coast under the influence of a high pressure system.

To the west, a pair of frontal systems coupled with digging upper-level
troughs are expected to bring a round of scattered wintry weather to
portions of the central and western U.S.  First, an upper-wave dropping
southward will bring moderate to locally heavy mountain snow through the
Great Basin/Rockies over the next couple of days. Lower elevations will
also see some snow showers, though accumulations will generally remain
limited.  However, one exception will be along the Colorado Front Range
where areas of the High Plains along and east of the foothills are
forecast to see some moderate accumulations.  To the north, a clipper-like
system will bring light snow showers to the northern Plains Tuesday.  As
the system reaches the Great Lakes on Wednesday, lake-enhanced snow
showers will bring more moderate accumulations to favorable downwind
locations.  Behind the clipper system, a strong arctic high pressure
system will bring a surge of arctic air into the northern and central U.S.
through Thursday.  The arctic air will be cold enough to challenge some
daily low temperature records (both the record low and record cold maximum
temperatures) over the Midwest on Thursday.

As the arctic high pressure system invades the northern and central U.S.,
the aforementioned upper-wave will emerge into the southern Plains on
Thursday and will begin to interact with a front near the Gulf Coast. 
This pattern will increase the chance of moderate to heavy rain on
Thursday along the western to central Gulf Coast, with light rain farther
inland from the Arklatex to the Deep South.  Over the Pacific Northwest,
moisture from the next Pacific system is forecast to reach the Pacific
Northwest during the day on Thursday with rain for the lower elevations
while wet snow is forecast for the northern Cascades.

Much of the eastern and central U.S. will continue to see well below
average, chilly temperatures in this winter-like pattern in which broad,
stagnant upper-toughing are in place with repeated cold frontal passages. 
Forecast highs generally range from the 20s and 30s for the Midwest and
New England, the 30s and 40s for the Mid-Atlantic, and the 40s and 50s for
the Southeast.  Areas along the southeast Atlantic coast Tuesday and the
central/western Gulf Coast Wednesday will see much warmer highs into the
60s as the position of the lingering frontal boundary fluctuates.  The
High Plains will also see a warm up today as highs rise into the 30s/40s
north and 50s/60s south with downsloping winds in place. Another cold
front will bring a return of frigid temperatures Wednesday as highs
plummet into the single digits and teens in the northern Plains and 20s
and 30s into the central High Plains. This cold front will also bring the
potential for widespread near record-tying/breaking lows Thursday morning
across portions of the Midwest, with temperatures as low as the negative
teens. The West will generally remain at or above average, with highs in
the 40s for the interior, 50s and 60s along the West Coast, and 60s and
70s in the Desert Southwest. A cold front will bring some cooler
temperatures in the 30s to portions of the interior on Wednesday.

Kong/Putnam

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