Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
300 PM EST Wed Dec 03 2025

Valid 00Z Thu Dec 04 2025 - 00Z Sat Dec 06 2025

...Lake-effect snow will linger across the Great Lakes with snow squalls
possible over interior New England as periods of mountain snow blanket
portions of the Rockies/High Plains and Pacific Northwest...

...Moderate to heavy rainfall expected along the Gulf Coast the next
couple days with an isolated risk for flash flooding...

...A surge of arctic air is forecast to challenge low temperature records
across the Midwest on Thursday and across the northern Mid-Atlantic to
southern New England on Friday...

...Light snow could reach the central Appalachians to the Mid-Atlantic on
Friday with showers and embedded thunderstorms down into the Southeast...

A fast-moving wintry weather pattern is forecast to prevail across the
northern tier states through the next few days.  Starting from the western
U.S., snow ahead of a digging upper-level trough has continued to persist
across the central Rockies into the High Plains of Colorado where Winter
Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories remain in effect.  The snow
is forecast to drift southward into northern portion of New Mexico tonight
before it gradually tapers off on Thursday as the upper trough exits the
southern Rockies into the southern Plains.  Mountain locations can expect
snowfall totals of 6-12", locally higher, with totals range from 3 to 6
inches for lower elevations along the Colorado Front Range.  The back end
of the snow is forecast to reach the panhandle of Texas Thursday morning
before ending Thursday afternoon.

Across the Pacific Northwest, the next system from the Pacific will begin
to spread mountain snow into the interior Pacific Northwest into the
northern Rockies on Thursday.  By Friday, the snow will likely blanket the
northern Rockies early in the day before entering the central Rockies as
the day progresses where as much as a foot of new snow is possible by
evening.  Meanwhile, closer to coast across the Pacific Northwest
including much of the Cascades and lower elevations of the interior
sections, periods of rain can be expected for much of Thursday and Friday.

In the north, an initial surge of polar air behind a clipper-like system
has initiated lake-effect snow across the upper Great Lakes.  As the
associated cold front sweeps across the remainder of the Great Lakes
tonight and into New England by Thursday, lake-effect snow will overspread
the lower Great Lakes along with the possibility of snow squalls across
interior New England on Thursday.  Blustery and colder conditions will
follow across much of the Northeast Thursday night into Friday.  This
surge of arctic air is forecast to bring temperatures cold enough to
challenge low temperature records across the Midwest on Thursday and then
across the northern Mid-Atlantic to southern New England on Friday.

As a high pressure system associated with the arctic air invades the
northern and central U.S., the aforementioned upper-level trough will
emerge into the southern Plains on Thursday and will begin to interact
with a front near the Gulf Coast.  This weather pattern will increase the
chance of moderate to heavy rain with embedded thunderstorms for the
western and central Gulf Coast on Thursday, spreading into the eastern
Gulf Coast and across the Southeast on Friday.  The rain and thunderstorms
are in response to a low pressure wave forming along the front.  In
addition, there is enough cold air farther north to support snow across
the central Appalachians to the Mid-Atlantic on Friday.  Nevertheless,
there is uncertainty on the northern extent and amount of the snow. 
Interests should keep abreast of further forecast updates on the winter
weather prospects for this region.

Kong


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