Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
250 AM EST Fri Nov 28 2025

Valid 12Z Fri Nov 28 2025 - 12Z Sun Nov 30 2025

...Heavy lake-effect snow will continue across the Great Lakes region into
early Saturday morning; impactful snow squalls likely for the Interior
Northeast Friday...

...The next major winter storm will affect the northern Plains and the
Midwest Friday into Saturday bringing with it heavy snow and hazardous
travel conditions...

...A wintry pattern will bring well below average, chilly temperatures to
much of the eastern and central U.S. heading into the weekend...

A winter storm that brought snow to portions of the northern Plains and
the Great Lakes will continue into the day Friday, with strong west to
northwesterly low-level post-frontal flow across the Great Lakes helping
to fuel heavy lake effect snow showers. Snowfall rates of 1-2 inches will
lead to storm total snowfall upwards of 1-2 feet with locally higher
amounts possible, particularly downwind of Lake Superior across the
northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan as well as downwind of Lakes Erie and
Ontario. Snow squalls bringing quick bursts of heavy snow and dangerous,
white-out conditions will also be possible across the Interior Northeast.
Conditions should begin to improve into Friday evening and especially by
Saturday morning as the system moves further away from the region and the
northwesterly flow subsides.

The impacts from another winter storm have already begun to the west, as
an upper-wave drops southward over a lingering boundary over the Pacific
Northwest into the Northern Rockies/High Plains this morning. Rain is
expected for lower elevations of the Pacific Northwest but most
precipitation will be snow for both the higher elevations here as well as
east into the Rockies/Plains. Snowfall totals generally around 3-6 inches,
locally higher into the mountains, can be expected especially across
northern Montana. Then, as the upper-wave reaches the Plains, lee
cyclogenesis will help to deepen/organize a surface low in the central
High Plains later Friday and into the overnight hours, with the
intensifying low-pressure/frontal system bringing an increasingly
expanding area of snow into the northern Plains Friday afternoon and the
Midwest by Friday night. Snow will begin to taper off for the
Rockies/northern Plains but continue for the Midwest Saturday as the quick
moving system lifts northeastward across the central Plains and into the
Midwest. A significant amount of accumulating snow is likely from eastern
South Dakota eastward through the central and Upper Midwest, with totals
of 6-12+ inches forecast. Gusty winds may lead to periods of blowing snow
with hazardous Post-Thanksgiving travel conditions expected. Conditions
across the Midwest should begin to improve overnight Saturday and into
Sunday morning as the system lifts eastward into the Northeast.

To the south, moist return flow ahead of the system will support a couple
rounds of showers and thunderstorms across the southern Plains east
towards the Mississippi Valley overnight Friday and through the day
Saturday. Some moderate to locally heavy rainfall is expected closer to
the western Gulf Coast where moisture will be higher and at least weak
instability will be present. Some isolated instances of flash flooding and
severe weather will be possible. Cooler temperatures to the north will
spread a messy wintry mix across portions of the Missouri Valley early
Saturday and into the Middle Mississippi and Ohio Valleys through the day.
This will continue into the northern Mid-Atlantic/New England into Sunday.

Stagnant upper-troughing and repeated frontal passages will keep
temperatures across much of the eastern and central U.S. not only well
below average but downright chilly, with some of the coldest air of the
season so far expected. Forecast highs Friday-Sunday generally range in
the 20s and 30s for the Midwest, the 30s and 40s for New England and the
Mid-Atlantic, and the 40s and 50s into the Southeast. Another cold front
passage will bring highs in the teens and 20s to portions of the northern
Rockies/Plains Friday and then into the central Plains Saturday. Portions
of the southern Plains/Texas will see a brief warm-up into the 60s, 70s,
and low 80s Saturday as flow turns southerly ahead of the next system
before this cold front brings temperatures crashing into the 30s and 40s
for Sunday. Similarly, portions of the Southeast coast should see a brief
break from colder temperatures ahead of this system on Sunday, as highs
climb into the 60s and 70s. In the West, temperatures will start above to
well above average on Friday before some colder air spreads westward as
well, bringing a modest cooling trend into the weekend. Forecast highs
Friday generally range from the 40s and 50s for the interior, the 50s and
60s along the West Coast, and the 60s and 70s for the Desert Southwest,
with highs dropping 2-3 degrees each day through Sunday. 

Putnam


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