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

Valid 12Z Tue Dec 02 2025 - 12Z Thu Dec 04 2025

...First winter storm of the season for inland New England and the
Mid-Atlantic continues today with heavy snow and impactful icing...

...Snow showers forecast across the northern Plains/Great Lakes and Great
Basin/Rockies over the next couple of days in an active winter-like
pattern...

...Chilly temperatures continue across much of the eastern and central
U.S....

An active winter-like pattern continues over the CONUS, with a
winter-storm ramping up as it moves into New England and the Mid-Atlantic
today. An upper-wave with moist Gulf flow overrunning a frontal boundary
along the southeast Atlantic and Gulf Coasts has led to widespread
precipitation across the Midwest/Southeast overnight. Showers and
thunderstorms have focused in vicinity of the boundary along the coast
with some additional rain showers further inland over the Southeast, which
will push eastward and clear the coast through the day. Further north, a
messy wintry mix is moving eastward from the Ohio Valley into the
central/southern Appalachians and portions of the Mid-Atlantic this
morning, with ongoing snow showers from the Upper Ohio Valley north to the
Lower Great Lakes shifting eastward into interior New England and the
Mid-Atlantic. Meanwhile, a coastal low is deepening along the
Mid-Atlantic, helping to increase moist flow over the colder air inland
and significantly enhance the wintry precipitation across the region. This
winter storm will bring impactful snow for interior New England and the
northern Mid-Atlantic today, with periodic snowfall rates of 1+"/hr
leading to totals of 5-10", with locally higher amounts over a foot
possible. In addition, freezing rain this morning along the
central/southern Appalachians may result in light accretions of 0.1-0.2
inches, creating slippery and dangerous conditions on roadways.
Precipitation along the coast inland to the I-95 corridor will likely
remain mostly rain. The wintry precipitation should taper off from south
to north throughout the day as the low begins to pull away from the coast,
with snowfall lingering longest into early Wednesday for New England.

To the west, another couple systems are bringing wintry weather to
portions of the central and western U.S. First, an upper-wave dropping
southward through the Great Basin/Rockies will bring moderate to locally
heavy mountain snow 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 Wednesday, lake-enhanced snow showers
will bring more moderate accumulations to favorable downwind locations.
Elsewhere, shower and thunderstorm chances will increase along portions of
the central/western Gulf Coast late Wednesday and into early Tuesday as a
frontal boundary lingering in the Gulf begins to lift back northward. Some
moderate to locally heavy rainfall will be possible, though this will be
more likely into the day Thursday.

Much of the eastern and central U.S. will continue to see well below
average, very chilly temperatures in this winter-like pattern with broad,
stagnant upper-toughing in place and repeated cold front 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.

Putnam

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